Just days after securing their place in the Europa League final, Tottenham Hotspur came crashing back down with a thud—and a record-breaking one at that.

A 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace, thanks to a brace from the ever-electric Eberechi Eze, handed Spurs their 20th Premier League loss of the season—their worst in the competition’s history.

For Ange Postecoglou, who had made eight changes from the side that brushed aside Bodo/Glimt in Europe, Sunday’s game turned into a frustrating reality check, both in terms of results and squad depth.

Eze Steals the Show as Palace Look Sharp Before FA Cup Final

While Spurs looked out of rhythm, Crystal Palace were all business at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With an FA Cup final just around the corner, Oliver Glasner named a strong starting eleven and was rewarded with a sharp, dominant display.

Eberechi Eze was the standout performer, calmly slotting home just before half-time and then finishing off a brilliant counter-attack minutes after the break.

It was enough to seal a league double over Spurs—one that Palace fans will remember for a long time.

Tottenham’s Team Shuffle Backfires

Understandably, Postecoglou opted to rotate heavily following the midweek European triumph. But his decisions backfired.

Spurs lacked chemistry and urgency, especially in the first half, and a shaky backline only added to their troubles.

Dejan Kulusevski’s early injury, following a knock to the knee by Marc Guehi, further disrupted Tottenham’s flow.

The Swede was replaced by Moore after just 19 minutes, and the hosts never really got going after that.

VAR Drama and Missed Chances for Palace

Palace had the ball in the back of the net early on when Ismaila Sarr tapped in from close range, but VAR denied them due to Jean-Philippe Mateta being marginally offside in the build-up.

The Eagles didn’t let up. Antonin Kinsky, making a rare appearance in goal for Spurs, had a nervy moment when he spilled a Munoz header.

Palace kept coming, with Mateta forcing a save and Munoz rattling the crossbar.

Maxence Lacroix thought he’d scored from a corner, but it was ruled out due to a handball by captain Marc Guehi.

Eze Strikes Just Before and After Half-Time

Eventually, Palace found the breakthrough their dominance deserved.

Just before the interval, Daniel Munoz broke down the right and squared the ball perfectly for Eze, who tapped it in with ease.

Things went from bad to worse for Spurs just three minutes into the second half.

After a Tottenham attack broke down, Palace countered quickly.

Sarr sprinted clear and teed up Eze again, who rifled home his second of the game and 12th of the season.

Bissouma, freshly introduced at half-time, was left trailing behind Eze in the move.

Late Spurs Surge Falls Flat

Tottenham tried to muster a response late on, with Wilson Odobert whipping in a dangerous cross that Pape Sarr headed wide.

The return of captain Son Heung-min after a month out with a foot injury briefly lifted the home crowd, but it was short-lived.

Palace almost grabbed a third through Sarr and continued to control the pace.

By the final whistle, the boos echoing around the stadium told the story. Spurs, now 17th in the table, looked like a team running on empty.

Match Stats and Player Ratings

Tottenham (4-2-3-1):
Kinsky (7); Porro (4), Danso (4.5), Davies (5.5), Spence (3); Gray (5.5), Bentancur (5); Odobert (4.5), P. Sarr (4.5), Tel (5); Kulusevski (5)
Substitutes used: Moore, Bissouma, Son
Manager: Ange Postecoglou (4)
Booked: Bentancur

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1):
Henderson (6.5); Richards (7), Lacroix (7.5), Guehi (7); Munoz (8.5), Hughes (7.5), Lerma (7), Mitchell (7); Sarr (8), Eze (8.5); Mateta (8)
Substitutes used: Nketiah, Kamada, Chilwell, Esse, Devenny
Manager: Oliver Glasner (8)
Star Man: Eberechi Eze
Scorers: Eze (45’, 48’)
Booked: Lerma

Referee: Chris Kavanagh (7)
Attendance: 60,254

What’s Next for Both Sides?

Tottenham must now regroup quickly with the Europa League final looming, but their Premier League form is a massive concern.

Ange Postecoglou will have tough questions to answer regarding both squad depth and tactics.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, will go into the FA Cup final full of confidence.

With Eze hitting top form and Glasner’s tactics clicking, they’ll fancy their chances of finishing the season with silverware.