Dele Alli scored one of the goals of the season to inspire Tottenham to a 3-1 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace.
With the score at 1-1 in the final 10 minutes after Harry Kane had cancelled out Jan Vertonghen’s own goal, England international Alli further enhanced his growing reputation with a balletic volley to make the score 2-1 and effectively secure all three points.
Substitute Nacer Chadli added a third goal in stoppage time, and with it fourth-placed Spurs strengthened their pursuit of a Champions League place while condemning Palace to a third consecutive defeat.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had made eight changes to the team that won 2-0 in the FA Cup third round at Leicester on Wednesday, retaining only Son Heung-min, Eric Dier and Christian Eriksen, but they began with intensity and without any apparent disruption.
Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen scores an own-goal to give Palace the lead
Against less resilient opposition, the fluid talents of Eriksen, Alli and Kane would have created several goalscoring chances in a promising opening half-hour, and had they done so and taken just one then victory would likely have proved almost routine.
Instead, they had been restricted to hopeful shots from Kieran Trippier and Kane, and an off-target header from Toby Alderweireld, when the concession of possession gifted Palace the lead.
Eriksen had given the ball away on the edge of the area after an aimless 30th-minute attack had ended when Zaha collected the loose ball, ran into Spurs’ penalty box and sent a low cross in front of goal, where it was deflected beyond Hugo Lloris via Vertonghen’s left foot.
