Crystal Palace put in a commanding performance to gear up for their upcoming FA Cup final, securing a 2-0 victory over Europa League finalists Tottenham Hotspur.
The star of the afternoon was Eberechi Eze, who netted twice to seal all three points for the Eagles.
His brace not only handed Palace a Premier League double over Spurs but also marked the North London side’s 20th league defeat of the season.
With crucial cup finals looming for both sides, significant changes to the starting lineups were expected.
Yet it was only Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou who opted for heavy rotation, switching out eight players from the team that featured in Norway.
One of the few to retain his place was Dejan Kulusevski, but his afternoon ended prematurely after just 18 minutes due to injury, a setback that now casts doubt over his availability for the Europa League showdown.
Tottenham looked off the pace from the start and struggled to find rhythm. Palace’s opener came as little surprise, with Daniel Munoz timing his run perfectly to break the offside trap and square for Eze, who made no mistake with a straightforward finish, his third consecutive Premier League goal.
By the break, the hosts could have been well out of sight. Munoz missed two clear chances, while Jean-Philippe Mateta was denied at close range by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Ismaila Sarr and Maxence Lacroix also had the ball in the net, but both goals were ruled out, Sarr’s by a marginal offside decision.
Palace’s dominant display served as a strong statement ahead of their cup final clash. Would you like a headline for this piece?