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Harry Kane and Lucas Moura scored the opening goals in quick successionTottenham scored twice in two first-half minutes to set up a victory over Crystal Palace and keep up the pressure on the Premier League top four.
Harry Kane opened the scoring with his second goal in as many games, before Lucas Moura doubled their lead with a powerful header from close range.
Palace, who had asked the Premier League to postpone the game because of a Covid-19 outbreak, which included a positive test for manager Patrick Vieira, never got going in north London.
With Vieira self-isolating, assistant manager Osian Roberts took charge of the team, which had to play for nearly an hour with 10 men.
Their talisman Wilfried Zaha felt aggrieved about his sending off for two bookable offences in the first half, before Son Heung-min sealed the win with a third for Tottenham after the break.
Spurs are unbeaten in six league games under Antonio Conte and are six points behind fourth-place Arsenal with three games in hand, while Palace are 12th in the table.
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Spurs focus on the task as Palace struggle
While most of the country was tucking into their second round of Christmas lunch, rumours were starting to emerge that the game would be postponed.
Vieira had confirmed on Friday that there had been "a couple of cases" at the club, but it was decided on Sunday that the game would take place.
Despite the outbreak, the visitors only made one change to the side that drew with Southampton in their last league game on 15 December as centre-back Joachim Andersen replaced Marc Guehi, who was available from the bench.
Both sides started slowly, but once the Christmas indulgence had been digested, it was Spurs who took the initiative.
Kane and Boxing Day goals go hand-in-hand and the England striker extended his Premier League record to six goals in his six top-flight appearances on 26 December.
Only both goalkeepers had touched the ball fewer times than Kane before he swept Moura's square into Jack Butland's net.
Two minutes later, Moura showed plenty of determination to climb above Andersen and nod in the second.
Zaha had been penalised for a clip on Davinson Sanchez before a needless push on the Spurs centre-back made his side's task even harder.
Man of the match Moura, who could have scored another when he glanced a header wide inside the six-yard box, did add another assist with a delicious cross for Son to side-foot his eighth league goal of the season.
The one bright spot for Palace was the performance of young full-back Tyrick Mitchell, who gained possession more times and played more passes in the opposition half than any of his team-mates.
Player of the match
Lucas MouraLucas Moura
with an average of 7.88
Tottenham Hotspur
- Squad number27Player nameLucas Moura
Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-Min
Squad number29Player nameSkipp
Squad number1Player nameLloris- Squad number3Player nameReguilón
Squad number10Player nameKane
Squad number15Player nameDier
Squad number6Player nameD Sánchez- Squad number25Player nameTanganga
- Squad number11Player nameGil
- Squad number28Player nameNdombele
- Squad number23Player nameBergwijn
- Squad number12Player nameEmerson Royal
- Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
Crystal Palace
Squad number23Player nameGallagher
Squad number3Player nameMitchell
Squad number12Player nameHughes
Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
Squad number8Player nameKouyaté
Squad number1Player nameButland
Squad number22Player nameÉdouard
Squad number2Player nameWard
Squad number36Player nameFerguson
Squad number5Player nameTomkins
Squad number16Player nameAndersen
Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
Squad number14Player nameMateta
Squad number11Player nameZaha
Line-ups
Tottenham
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Lloris
- 6D SánchezBooked at 68mins
- 15Dier
- 25Tanganga
- 12Leite de Souza Junior
- 29Skipp
- 5HøjbjergSubstituted forNdombeleat 79'minutes
- 3Reguilón
- 27Lucas Moura
- 7Son Heung-MinSubstituted forGilat 76'minutes
- 10KaneSubstituted forBergwijnat 64'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Doherty
- 8Winks
- 11Gil
- 14Rodon
- 20Alli
- 22Gollini
- 23Bergwijn
- 28Ndombele
- 33Davies
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Butland
- 2Ward
- 16Andersen
- 5TomkinsBooked at 45mins
- 3MitchellSubstituted forFergusonat 82'minutes
- 23GallagherSubstituted forSchluppat 76'minutes
- 12Hughes
- 8Kouyaté
- 9J Ayew
- 22ÉdouardSubstituted forMatetaat 63'minutes
- 11ZahaBooked at 37mins
Substitutes
- 6Guéhi
- 14Mateta
- 15Schlupp
- 19Matthews
- 34Kelly
- 36Ferguson
- 44Riedewald
Referee:Jonathan Moss
Attendance:40,539
Live Text
Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 3, Crystal Palace 0.
Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 3, Crystal Palace 0.
Foul by Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur).
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace).
Attempt missed. Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Sergio Reguilón.
Attempt blocked. Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Emerson Royal.
Attempt missed. Lucas Moura (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Emerson Royal with a cross.
Foul by Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Lucas Moura (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Oliver Skipp.
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Nathan Ferguson replaces Tyrick Mitchell.
Attempt blocked. Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Steven Bergwijn with a cross.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Joachim Andersen.
Attempt blocked. Sergio Reguilón (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bryan Gil.
Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Tanguy Ndombele replaces Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.
Foul by Sergio Reguilón (Tottenham Hotspur).
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
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