Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage is in deep trouble after the loss at Spurs left them rooted in the bottom three - but it was hard not to feel a measure of sympathy for the Frenchman who succeeded Oliver Glasner in the summer.

Sage would have been desperate for Palace to build on the relief of victory in the Carabao Cup win at Fulham, but a bright start was totally undermined by Jean-Philippe Mateta's wild tackle.

Palace were also guilty of poor marking - or no marking - at the Mohamed Kudus corner that saw Archie Gray score the opener for Spurs 12 minutes later.

Sage's side continued to show determination to stay in the fight, while Palace's travelling support actually chanted the manager's name in the second half, before they were eventually over-run, with keeper Dean Henderson making several fine late saves.

This was not the performance of players who have given up on their head coach, who had a hard act to follow after Glasner won the FA Cup and Uefa Conference League, but results dictate all and Palace's have been poor as they now sit in the relegation places.