Jeffery Schlupp's second-half goal cancelled out Harry Kane's opener as Crystal Palace held Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw.

2000 fans were present at Selhurst Park as The Eagles welcomed fans back for the first time since March.

It was an entertaining game, with both sides missing chances that could have given them the three points they were chasing.

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho spoke to the media after the game:

  • On what he made of sharing the points

The performance Crystal Palace put out in the second-half meant they were worthy of their equaliser, Tottenham just did not get going until they conceded.

On the balance of play a point was the fair result, but Palace keeper Vicente Guaita made a handful of superb saves, two very late on to deny Spurs victory.

 

"We can look at it in two different perspectives, we have more points than three hours ago, so we add a point, but at the same time you play to win three points, so if you get one, you lose two."

"If I look to the game I would say the first half where the feeling is we have to win it, so we lost the points, but then comes the 30 minutes in the second half where they deserve to equalise, so you accept, because a point is fair, but then in the last 10 minutes you should win it so you get the feeling you have dropped two."

  • On the fitness of Gareth Bale

Summer loanee Gareth Bale is yet to make his mark since his high-profile return to North London, the Welshman hasn't featured in the Premier League for Tottenham in just over a month.

He has been deployed in the Europa League on a regular basis, building up match fitness and sharpness- he wasn't in the squad at all against Palace due to illness.

"He was ill, not Covid, not even flu that keeps you in bed for a week. I believe for Wednesday he will be fine."

  • On Crystal Palace's equaliser

Schlupp's goal came following a brilliant ball, whipped in by Eberechi Eze, the initial delivery was spilled by Hugo Lloris as he was surrounded by bodies and saw it late.

The winger was quickest to react and turned in the rebound, it was the result of sustained pressure by The Eagles and they had already missed chances in the match.

"My goalkeeper is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League so I would never be critical of the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, period."

"If I have to blame anybody I have to blame ourselves, the team. The ones that win, the ones that draw and the ones that lose. Some guys they have the philosophy of they lost, we drew and I won but that's not us."

  • On what changed after the interval

Jose's side were on top in the first-half, taking the lead deservedly, they controlled possession and created the better chances between the two teams.

The second-half was a completely different story as Tottenham went into a defensive phase of play, backing off Palace and putting themselves under waves of attacks.

"My instructions didn’t change from the preparation of the game, yesterday before the game and at half-time. This is the kind of game where you need the ball and it is the kind of game where you cannot accept a low block."

"There are opponents when you can have a low block and be there for three hours, and they don’t hurt you. There are other opponents like Crystal Palace when you have a low block, they put the giants in the box, they look for pressure, they look for second balls, they look for rebounds, they look for corners, they look for lateral free-kicks. And you cannot accept that." 

"We prepared a team not to do that and in the first half we did that very well. In the second half we didn’t, but I don’t want to blame the players."

"The quality of players is very similar. They have very good players, very experienced players, and they create us problems."

 

VAVEL Logo
About the author