Archie Gray scores his first senior goal as Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park to end a losing run and climb to 11th.
Tottenham Hotspur ended 2025 with a narrow but important 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Teenager Archie Gray scored his first senior goal just before half time. The win halted Spurs’ run of two consecutive Premier League defeats. It also eased pressure on head coach Thomas Frank.
The match was played in front of 25,186 supporters in south London. Palace had entered the game ninth in the table. Tottenham started the day 14th but climbed three places with the win. The margins were slim but the points were significant.
Crystal Palace looked the more dangerous side in the opening stages. Jean Philippe Mateta caused problems with his strength and hold up play. He dragged one shot wide and headed over from close range. Those missed chances would prove costly.
Justin Devenny also blazed over inside the penalty area. Will Hughes curled an effort wide after a neat passing move. Palace controlled territory but struggled to test Guglielmo Vicario. Their early dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard.
Tottenham struck against the run of play in the 42nd minute. Pedro Porro delivered a corner to the back post. Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison both won aerial duels. The ball fell kindly for Gray six yards out.
The 19-year-old headed home from close range. It was his first goal after 112 senior appearances for both Tottenham and boyhood club Leeds United. Gray became the youngest Englishman to score a league goal for Spurs since Dele Alli in 2016. Palace again paid the price for poor set piece defending.
Spurs thought they had taken the lead earlier on the 18th minute through Richarlison. The goal was ruled out after VAR spotted an offside involving Lucas Bergvall. The Brazilian forward later had another effort disallowed in the closing stages. Mohammed Kudus had provided the cross.
Wilson Odobert struck the post with a powerful late effort. Rodrigo Bentancur also forced a sharp save from Dean Henderson. Tottenham defended resolutely under pressure. Palace failed to register a second half shot on target.
Gray’s goal was the defining moment of a low-quality contest. Richarlison played a key role despite his frustration in front of goal. He provided the assist and remained a constant presence. Pedro Porro also impressed with his delivery and energy.
For Palace, Mateta led the line well without reward. Maxence Lacroix headed narrowly wide in the second half. The Eagles attempted 15 shots overall. However, they failed to create a single big chance.
Palace generated 1.47 expected goals but scored none. They have now scored 8.4 goals fewer than expected this league season. Tottenham failed to attempt a shot in the opening 30 minutes for the fifth time. Only Burnley have matched that tally.
Gray was 19 years and 291 days old when he scored. Spurs are now just one point off the top half. They have collected 39 league points across the 2025 calendar year. Only Wolves and West Ham have fewer.
Crystal Palace host Fulham on Thursday 1 January with kick off at 17:30 GMT. Tottenham visit Brentford later that day at 20:00 GMT. Thomas Frank faces his former club for the first time and could leapfrog them should Spurs get a win at the Gtech Stadium. Both sides will aim to start the new year strongly.
