Europa League finalists Tottenham were brought back down to earth with a record-breaking Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace after a brace by Eberechi Eze in a 2-0 loss.
Spurs set up a European final with Manchester United on Thursday after they sealed a 5-1 aggregate victory over Bodo/Glimt, but Ange Postecoglou’s much-changed line-up slipped to a 20th league loss of the season.
It marks Tottenham’s worst-ever tally of defeats in the Premier League after they twice lost 19 fixtures in the 1993-94 and 2003-04 campaigns.
Perhaps of more concern to Postecoglou than another league reverse was a first-half injury to Dejan Kulusevski, but captain Heung Min Son did make his first appearance in a month following a foot issue.
It was a different story for Palace who warmed up for Saturday’s FA Cup final with three points after Eze tapped home on the stroke of half-time and added another – three minutes into the second period – to complete a league double over Tottenham.
Both teams have a final on the horizon and while Postecoglou made eight changes after victory in Bodo, Palace named arguably their strongest available line-up and had the ball in the net in the eighth minute.
Daniel Munoz was given aches of space down Spurs’ left-hand side and picked out Ismaila Sarr to tap home at the back post, but a VAR check followed and Jean-Philippe Mateta was adjudged to be fractionally offside by the halfway line.
The first injury scare of the afternoon occurred in the 13th minute when Kulusevski went down after he had a shot deflected wide – six minutes later and he had been replaced after another whack around his knee by Marc Guehi.
Palace had gone close again after Tottenham’s back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky spilled a header by Munoz before Mathys Tel needed treatment for the hosts, but was able to continue.
Oliver Glasner watched his team continue to create opportunities, with Mateta denied by Kinsky before Munoz fired over via the crossbar.
After Sarr and Mateta had efforts blocked, Maxence Lacroix had a header disallowed from a corner after it hit the hand of captain Guehi on the way in.
It was a major let-off for Spurs but Palace finally went ahead on the stroke of half-time when Munoz again was played in and this time teed up Eze for a simple tap-in.
Postecoglou introduced Yves Bissouma at half-time and yet his first telling contribution was to let Eze run off him to make it 2-0.
Palace hit Tottenham with a slick counter-attack after Pedro Porro had a shot blocked, with Sarr sent clear and able to see up Eze to rifle home for his 12th goal of the campaign.
Only Kinsky saves from Mateta and his own defender Kevin Danso prevented further punishment for Spurs, who did eventually produce a response as Wilson Odobert’s dangerous cross was followed up by a Pape Sarr header put well wide.
The return of Son after a month out lifted a subdued home crowd but only momentarily as Palace almost grabbed a third through Sarr before boos from the home supporters’ left met full-time.
PA
