Teenager Archie Gray scored his first senior goal as Tottenham halted a run of back-to-back Premier League defeats with a narrow win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The 19-year-old struck three minutes before half-time, pouncing from close range after Palace failed to clear a corner.
Pedro Porro’s delivery to the back post was contested by Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison, allowing Gray to apply the finishing touch.
Tottenham were close to making the result more comfortable late on when Wilson Odobert rattled the post, while Richarlison saw two goals ruled out by VAR for offside.
One came after Lucas Bergvall was deemed to have strayed offside in the build-up, before the Brazilian mistimed his run to meet a Mohammed Kudus cross in the closing moments.
Palace posed the greater threat in the first half, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s physical presence causing Spurs problems.
The striker sent one effort narrowly wide and headed over from close range with his best opportunities.
After the break, Justin Devenny fired over and Maxence Lacroix headed just wide, but the hosts failed to register a single shot on target in the second half as they slipped to a third straight league defeat.
The victory moves Tottenham up to 11th in the table, one point behind Palace, who remain ninth.
While Thomas Frank has yet to spark a dramatic revival following his summer arrival, this hard-fought win offers encouragement heading into the new year.
Spurs had won just once in their previous eight league games and again started slowly, failing to attempt a shot in the opening 30 minutes for the fifth time this season.
After Gray’s opener, they went another half-hour without an attempt before Odobert’s near miss.
But in a scrappy contest, Tottenham showed resilience and determination to protect their lead – qualities Frank will hope to build on.
Crystal Palace looked short of sharpness as the demands of a packed schedule began to tell.
Despite 15 shots, they failed to create a clear-cut chance and equalled their longest losing run under Oliver Glasner.
Mateta’s missed first-half opportunities proved costly, while defensive issues from set-pieces continued to haunt the Eagles, with eight of their last nine goals conceded in all competitions coming from such situations.
After an exhausting December, Glasner will be hoping the January transfer window can provide fresh energy for a squad that looks in need of reinforcement.
