When you travel across London for a evening kick-off, the last thing you expect is for your entire game plan to be thrown out of the window inside thirteen minutes.
Tyrick Mitchell was left frustrated after an early red card proved costly as Crystal Palace were beaten by Tottenham 2-0 on Saturday evening.
Having fashioned the only chance of the opening ten minutes, Palace were settling into the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, only to then lose Jean-Philippe Mateta for a challenge when stretching for the ball. The French forward’s dismissal was then compounded by Archie Gray’s header in the 25th minute and Pierre Sage’s side were unable to recover.
For those watching from the away section, the sinking feeling set in early. But listening to Mitchell speak after the match, there’s no desire within the squad to wallow in self-pity with European and domestic challenges coming thick and fast.
It was a flashpoint that completely altered the momentum of the match. Mateta’s challenge on Micky van de Ven initially drew a yellow from referee Michael Oliver, but a quick trip to the pitchside monitor upgraded the decision to a straight red, forcing Palace to play over 75 minutes a man down.
Following the defeat, Mitchell urged the team to stay together with two big fixtures against Hoffenheim and Liverpool on the horizon this week after a tough night in North London.
“It [the red card] was definitely frustrating,” he told Sky Sports. “It was one of the first tackles of the game.”
“And we felt like we were doing well and it is unfortunate. We go again.”
“The main message was don’t concede again, stay tight as a defence and try to hit them on the counter. That is the best plan when you’re down a man.”
Going down to ten men against a side that loves to dominate possession is a tactical nightmare. Palace shifted into a rigid defensive structure, attempting to limit space in the box and spring forward on the break.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen today. We know what we can do as a team, as a back five, the whole unit.”
“There were some positives in the games, but I can’t say much when you lose. We just have to go again – hopefully, the next game we win.”
Despite the best efforts of the back line and some sharp work from Dean Henderson to limit further damage, Jan Paul van Hecke eventually added a second to seal the points for Spurs.
With pressure mounting in the Premier League table, there is no time to dwell on what went wrong in North London. The fixture list offers no breathing room, with a crucial European night against Hoffenheim followed immediately by the arrival of Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
“The main message is to stay together as a team. We know what we are capable of. It is just about staying confident and bouncing back.”
For Mitchell and the rest of the squad, the task now is clear: put the frustration behind them, stick to the manager’s principles, and ensure Selhurst Park is rocking when the big fixtures arrive this week.
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