The atmosphere at Selhurst Park was electric as Tottenham Hotspur arrived seeking to reverse a slump that had seen them win only once in their previous eight league outings.
With Thomas Frank under significant scrutiny, the North London side needed a resilient performance to silence critics and climb back into the top half of the table.
The breakthrough came just before the interval through Archie Gray, the 19-year-old former Leeds United talent, who rose highest in the box to meet a flick-on from Richarlison following a well-worked corner.
Crystal Palace were left frustrated by their own defensive lapses. Oliver Glasner had previously labeled his side’s set-piece defending as embarrassing, and those concerns resurfaced as Gray was left unmarked to clinch the winner.
Despite dominating possession in the second half, Palace lacked the clinical edge required to bypass a determined Tottenham defense.
Richarlison saw two goals disallowed by VAR for offside, keeping the scoreline tense until the final whistle.
The victory moves Tottenham up to 11th place, just a single point behind Palace.
