Tottenham player ratings vs Crystal Palace – Gray terrible, 6/10 best of lot
Tottenham were outmatched in every department as they fell to a record-breaking 20th league defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
Ange Postecoglou made eight changes to their starting line-up for the third league game in a row following their 2-0 second-leg victory against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday (8 May), and once again it showed.
Spurs were pegged back by the visitors from the off, which was not helped by an injury sustained to Dejan Kulusevski early in the first half.
They were given plenty of warnings of what was to come as Palace had two goals disallowed before Eberechi Eze finally put them ahead just before half time.
The England international then made it two straight after the break as he stroked home unmarked from inside the 18-yard box.
The home side marginally stabilised but, despite Son Heung-Min’s return, never looked likely to reverse the scoreline as they ended the game with just one shot on target compared to the visitors’ ten.
Here, Tottenham News rates each home player out of 10.
Gray struggles in midfield role
Antonín Kinsky – 5
Pedro Porro – 6
Kevin Danso – 5
Ben Davies – 4
Djed Spence – 5
Pape Matar Sarr – 5
Archie Gray – 3
Rodrigo Bentancur – 5
Dejan Kulusevski – 5
Wilson Odobert – 6
Mathys Tel – 6
Substitutes
Mikey Moore (On for Kulusevski, 19′) – 5
Yves Bissouma (On for Bentancur, HT) – 5
Heung-Min Son (on for Porro, 58′) – 5
Postecoglou’s midfield conundrum
Postecoglou once again gambled with a young starting lineup, which ultimately proved costly as Archie Gray once again showed he is not ready to play in the centre of the park.
The England Under-21s international looked woefully vulnerable in midfield as the Palace players breezed past him with ease on numerous occasions.
He was seemingly unaware of Eze’s presence behind him for the opener and simply could not keep up with the Eagles’ main man as he broke forward from the edge of his own box to score the second, leaving Gray for dead.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Tottenham | 47.3% | 8 | 1 |
| Crystal Palace | 52.7% | 23 | 10 |
To the former Leeds player’s credit, he looked more solid when he was shuffled to right-back, but this game was further proof that he can not handle Premier League intensity.
It raises questions for Postecoglou as Kulusevski’s injury could leave Tottenham dangerously light in midfield options, especially in attacking areas, with James Maddison set to miss the rest of the season.
The Australian will have to hope that the Swede can recover in time for the Europa League final, otherwise, he may have to get creative with his lineup in Bilbao.