In a sun-drenched Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Crystal Palace delivered a commanding performance to secure a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, May 11, 2025, completing their first-ever Premier League double over their London rivals. Eberechi Ezeâs scintillating brace, one goal in each half, underscored Palaceâs dominance and sent a resounding message ahead of their FA Cup final against Manchester City. For Tottenham, the defeat was a sobering comedown after their midweek heroics in reaching the Europa League final, with an injury to Dejan Kulusevski adding further concern for manager Ange Postecoglou.
Palace, led by Oliver Glasner, approached the match with intensity and purpose, their high press disrupting Tottenhamâs rhythm from the outset. The Eagles thought they had taken an early lead when Jean-Philippe Mateta tapped in from close range, but VAR ruled it out for an offside in the build-up. Undeterred, Palace continued to probe, with Daniel Muñoz striking the crossbar moments later. Their persistence paid off in the 17th minute when Eze, in electric form, latched onto a precise through ball from Marc GuĂ©hi and slotted past Guglielmo Vicario with composure.
Tottenham, visibly fatigued from their midweek exertions against Bodo/Glimt, struggled to find cohesion. Postecoglou had made wholesale changes to his lineup, with nine of the starting eleven having played 90 minutes on Norwayâs artificial pitch just three days prior. The decision to rotate heavily was understandable, with the Europa League final against Manchester United looming on May 21, but it left Spurs vulnerable. The hostsâ woes deepened when Kulusevski, one of their standout performers this season with 10 goals and 11 assists, hobbled off in the 20th minute after a heavy challenge, replaced by Mikey Moore. Postecoglou will be sweating over the Swedeâs fitness, as he is a key figure in their European ambitions.
The first half saw Palace dictate proceedings, with their midfield trio of Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, and Ismaila Sarr outworking Tottenhamâs Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr. Spursâ backline, featuring a rotated quartet of Archie Gray, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, and Djed Spence, was repeatedly exposed, particularly down Palaceâs right flank, where Muñoz and Sarr combined to devastating effect. Despite a brief flurry of pressure from Spurs late in the half, with Richarlison forcing a save from Dean Henderson, Palace went into the break deservedly ahead.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Palace refusing to relent. Eze sealed the points in the 53rd minute, capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Spence to curl a sublime effort into the top corner from 20 yards. The goal sparked wild celebrations among the traveling Palace fans, who sensed a historic result. Tottenham, to their credit, attempted to rally, with Son Heung-min, making a cameo appearance after a month-long injury layoff, injecting some urgency. However, Palaceâs defense, marshaled by Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards, stood firm, with Henderson securing his 11th clean sheet of the season.
Tottenhamâs frustrations were evident as they failed to register a shot on target in the second half, a stark contrast to their free-scoring display in Norway. The home crowd grew restless, with murmurs of discontent directed at Postecoglouâs cautious approach. Palace, meanwhile, could have added to their tally, with Eddie Nketiahâs low drive forcing a smart save from Vicario and Mateta narrowly missing a late chance to make it 3-0.
The result leaves Tottenham languishing in 17th place in the Premier League with 38 points, their focus clearly on the upcoming Europa League final. Palace, sitting comfortably in 12th with 49 points, equal their record Premier League points tally and head into their FA Cup final brimming with confidence. Glasner praised his sideâs âruthless efficiency,â while Postecoglou admitted his team âlacked energyâ but remained optimistic about their European prospects.