SON’S SLICE OF HISTORY
<M<IP B@:B# <M<IP >F8C# <M<IP >8D< Record-breaker for goal ace
TRUST a record-breaker to ensure Tottenham did not fall victim to a curse.
The last five teams to beat Real Madrid over 90 minutes in the Champions League dropped points in their next domestic game.
But Son Heung-Min made sure Spurs took three points and made a slice of history in the process.
The South Korean’s third goal of the season made him the Premier League’s all-time highest scoring Asian player with 20, beating former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung.
He should have had a hat-trick but wasted two better chances.
Shaky
Palace are the only team in the top flight without a clean sheet and have not scored an away goal in the league for seven months.
Things look a lot more rosy for Spurs, who won despite missing a host of key men to injury.
Spurs keeper Paulo Gazzaniga was making his first Premier League appearance since playing for Southampton in December 2015, and he looked shaky at first.
Palace went for him and could have had a penalty when he came storming out of goal to clatter into Mamadou Sakho.
Gazzaniga caught the defender in the head with his arm, but referee Kevin Friend gave him the benefit of the doubt and Sakho carried on after treatment. Spurs were missing Hugo Lloris, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli and it was a real struggle. By halftime, Spurs had managed just one shot on target, with Palace content to soak up the pressure.
Palace came close to grabbing the lead shortly after half-time when former Spurs winger Andros Townsend broke clear and forced a fine diving save from Gazzaniga.
Wilf Zaha was then played clean through by Townsend and as he bore down on Gazzaniga, the keeper hesitated and allowed the Palace winger to nip round him before firing just wide. Then Spurs struck.
Twice, the Eagles failed to clear before the ball rebounded to Son on the edge of the box.
He had work to do, and he did it beautifully, curling a pinpoint effort into the top corner in the 64th minute.
Son should have doubled the lead with nine minutes left when he cut in from the left but dragged his shot into the side netting.
He was almost clean through again moments later but delayed far too long until Sakho stepped in and cleared the danger. TOTTENHAM (3-4-3): Gazzaniga 5; Dier 6, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 6; Aurier 4, Sissoko 6, Winks 6 (Dembele 46, 6), Rose 6 (Davies 90); SON 7, Kane 6 (Llorente 77), Eriksen 6. Subs: Whiteman, Trippier, Nkoudou, Foyth. UP NEXT: Arsenal (a), Premier League, Saturday, November 18. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Speroni 6; Fosu-Mensah 5, Dann 6, Sakho 6, Ward 5 (Sako 76); Loftus-Cheek 5, Milivojevic 6, Cabaye 6, Schlupp 6; TOWNSEND 7, Zaha 6. Subs: Hennessey, Tomkins, McArthur, Souare, Puncheon, Riedewald. UP NEXT: Everton (h), Premier League, Saturday, November 18. Referee: Kevin Friend 6. YOUR TURN: Which midfielder scored his first goal for Spurs when they beat Palace 1-0 at home last season?