SOCCER: Gray's first senior goal earns Spurs gritty 1-0 win at Palace

LONDON – Archie Gray scored his first senior goal to give Tottenham Hotspur a crucial 1-0 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday, ending Spurs’ poor away run and easing pressure on manager Thomas Frank.

Tottenham initially thought they had taken the lead when Richarlison tapped in Pedro Porro’s cross, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Palace had their own chance to score when Jean-Philippe Mateta headed over from close range after Maxence Lacroix nodded a free kick across the goal.

Gray made Palace pay just before halftime, nodding home from three yards after Spurs kept Porro’s corner alive. “It’s the best feeling,” Gray told Sky Sports. “You work your whole life for that moment, and hopefully I can just keep it going.”

Palace came close to equalizing with Justin Devenny firing over on the spin and Lacroix heading narrowly wide. Richarlison thought he had doubled Spurs’ lead with 15 minutes left, but VAR ruled it out once again.

The win lifted Spurs to 11th in the table with 25 points from 18 games, after losing four of their last five away matches in all competitions. Palace, suffering their third straight league defeat and now winless in five games across all competitions, remain ninth with 26 points.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner attributed the loss to a lack of finishing. “I don’t blame anybody for missing the chances, but we have to accept right now that we have a little bit of a lack of finishing quality in the team,” he said.

A Tense First Half

Both teams started cautiously, with Palace gradually taking control. Spurs barely touched the ball during a long spell when Richarlison finished at the back post in the 17th minute—but Lucas Bergvall had strayed offside in the buildup, and the goal was disallowed.

Mateta missed Palace’s best chance of the half, heading over from close range, and they paid the price in the 42nd minute. Gray, 19, scored on his 112th senior appearance when Porro’s corner was kept alive by Randal Kolo Muani and flicked home by the youngster.

After halftime, Devenny wasted a close-range opportunity, and Lacroix went close with a header. Richarlison thought he had sealed the win in the 75th minute, but VAR intervened again. Spurs, however, remained the more dangerous side, and substitute Wilson Odobert hit the post late after a slick one-two with Richarlison.

“That was a massive win in many ways,” Frank said. “Was it a top performance? No. Are there things we can improve? Yes. But to go here, in a season that’s been a little up and down, it’s a huge mentality shift for the players.”

Glasner tried to reflect on a successful year for Palace, who lifted their first FA Cup trophy in May. “I don’t feel it right now, but looking at the whole picture, 2025 was an incredible year for Crystal Palace,” he said.

-Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters