Tottenham's precarious situation in the Premier League became even more serious after a period of disastrous decline. The peak was a 1-3 defeat at home against Crystal Palace.
This defeat puts the North London team at risk of relegation when they are only one point ahead of the bottom 3 teams, after West Ham defeated Fulham in the middle of the week.
Spurs started the match with a heart-stopping start when Ismaila Sarr's goal was disallowed for offside. However, hope flashed in in the 34th minute when Dominic Solanke scored the opening goal for the home team.
However, that advantage was quickly destroyed by an unconscious moment of interim captain Micky van de Ven. The Dutch center-back pulled Sarr down in the penalty area and received a direct red card.
Sarr calmly converted the penalty, before Crystal Palace took advantage of the numerical advantage to reverse the situation in the chaotic minutes at the end of the first half. Jorgen Strand Larsen scored to increase the score with a low shot, then Sarr himself completed a double, shocking Tottenham when they entered halftime with only 10 players on the field.
Coach Igor Tudor - who caused controversy when he removed two expensive contracts Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons from the starting lineup - is now under great pressure.
His tactical gamble was not effective when goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario had to show his talent to save in the first minute after Adam Wharton's shot.
Newcomer Souza also quickly received a yellow card after only 7 minutes for a rough foul that caused Daniel Munoz to leave the field due to injury, making the atmosphere on the field tense.
Although Mathys Tel had a remarkable finish in the 15th minute, Tottenham still had difficulty controlling the game. Crystal Palace seemed to have scored right in the 29th minute when Sarr rushed down to receive a pass from Evann Guessand. However, after a VAR test, the goal was disallowed for offside, causing home team fans to burst into tears.
However, that joy quickly turned into disappointment when Solanke's opening goal - assisted after Tel's shot bounced out - quickly became meaningless.
Just 4 minutes after taking the lead, Van de Ven's red card and Sarr's penalty completely changed the game.
Tudor brought Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma onto the field to reverse the situation, but Crystal Palace still maintained strong pressure. Adam Wharton played an important role in the next two goals. He assisted Strand Larsen to finish into Vicario's net before making a high pass for Sarr to easily score the third goal, exposing the weakness in Tottenham's defense.
Screams rang out throughout the field when the first half ended, but 10 Spurs players still showed fighting spirit in the second half. Kevin Danso's shot was blocked by Dean Henderson, while Gray was also blocked by Palace's defense.
Personnel changes, including Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Xavi Simons, could not help Tottenham change the situation. The North London team officially set a sad record with 11 consecutive winless matches in the Premier League, pushing Tudor and Tottenham's crisis to a more serious level.
The ship is going in the right direction I want. Whoever is on this ship can stay, and others can leave" - Tudor said after the Palace defeat.
