Gray nets his first senior goal to give Spurs victory over Palace

0:06You're listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Welcome along. South London met North London on Super Sunday as Spurs made the trip across the capital to Silhurst Park to play Crystal Palace. Here's how things sounded at full time.

0:31Well, he needed that. Goodness me, he needed that, Thomas Frack. wins have been thin on the ground just the second in nine Premier League games and after some deeply damaging trips on the road he's come here to Selhurst Park tonight Thomas Frank and come away with three points a performance of grits, a performance of determination and a performance where a set piece did the trick touched home by RT Gray he's all smiles and well may he be his first ever career goal in his 112th career appearance. He's the match winner. He's the star of the show for Tottenham Hotspur. As far as Crystal Palace are concerned, though, what has been an historically good year ends with disappointment.

1:16Five without a win. Three successive Premier League defeats. This evening, 2025, ends with a win for Tottenham Hotspur against Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace by one goal to nil. Well, it didn't need to be pretty. it didn't need to be spectacular it just needed to be effective and that is enough for tottenham hotspur and for thomas frank they get three points on the road their good away record is back up and running and thomas frank's team got it absolutely right against crystal palace who've had as we were hearing such a great 2025 but it ends on a whimper archie gray the match winner for tottenham his goal made sure that they take all three points.

2:00Lots of action that we've already missed today, including that one-all draw between Sunderland and Leeds. Sunderland went ahead in that game. Leeds went through Dominic Cavett-Lewin, came back and took a point. And this is how the table looks at this stage. So Tottenham Hotspur taking that win takes them on to 25 points for this season so far, and that's how they end 2025. Leeds stay in 16th place with their point. And moving into the top half of the table, which is where we'll find Crystal Palace, who are in 9th place after that 1-0 defeat. And a point for Sunderland is enough to take them into 7th place.

2:44They're now on 28 points.

2:53Let's take a look at what's coming up for you. Really busy Tuesday night of action in the Premier League. There are four 7.30 kick-offs, starting with Chelsea against Bournemouth, Forest Everton, Burnley, Newcastle, West Ham, Brighton. 6.30 for all the build-up across all the Sky Sports channels. And you can watch it on Premier League Multiview. Then on Sky Sports Premier League, the two 8.15 kick-offs, Arsenal against Aston Villa, Manchester United against Wolves.

3:24New Year's Day, Liverpool against Leeds, 5 o 'clock for all the build-up to that one. At the same time, it's Crystal Palace against Fulham and then two later kick-offs, which is Sunderland against Manchester City and Brentford against Spurs, who are back in front of the Sky Sports Camera. So 7.45 for the build-up to that one. Oh, Amadeus is available right now on Sky Atlantic, a new original series all about Mozart. You can watch it. live or watch it right now. Coming up though we're going to have lots more reaction to a big three points for Spurs on the road courtesy of Archie Gray's first professional goal.

4:10Hi everyone Tom White here welcome to Sky Sports FC the place to have your say on the biggest football stories. Join me and the very best Premier League pundits Monday to Friday 10 till 12 on Sky Sports News or listen on our brand new podcast which drops as soon as we come off air. On the pod you can expect hot takes, fierce debate and some more of your messages. Just search for Sky Sports FC wherever you get your podcasts. Give us a like, follow or subscribe. That's Sky Sports FC, a Sky Sports podcast.

4:49Welcome back to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Let's get back to the studio for more reaction to today's game.

5:00Borough's delivery is deep. Danso was there. And in! Archie Gray got the final touch. More set-piece problems for Crystal Palace. Archie Gray in his 112th appearance in senior football. has his first goal and it's given Spurs the lead. Jamie, it wasn't exactly a dominant performance from Tottenham, but given that they did manage to have two goals disallowed for offside as well, did they edge it in the end? Yeah, and hit the post as well, Odebeu, when he came on. Yeah, I think so. They had a lot of good opportunities. I think it was never going to be a classic because Tottenham, part of the Spurs, haven't been in the best of form.

5:40It's been difficult. The last away game was Nottingham Forest, you lose 3-0. But I thought today, all in all, I think it was a really hard-working display. I thought Richarlison, although he didn't get the two goals that were offside, I thought he led the line well. He gave a bit of a focal point to the team. And obviously Archie Gray scoring that goal. It was a lovely moment. I think we all enjoyed that one, Alan. Yeah, really lovely goal. But a difficult vote for Crystal Palace. As Jamie said, they've been on a run now of five games without a win, having had such a brilliant 2025. Does it feel like this is just a temporary dip?

6:09Are they struggling, do you think, with the effects of playing so many games this season? Well, they look like, you know, the Christmas champagne. They were flat, you know, there was just no bounce to them, no spark. It all looked a bit kind of slow. And that's the sort of mode they're in at the moment. They've only won two games at home. So it was not a surprise the result. They have been struggling a little bit. But I think it was just a game that kind of was perfect for Spurs. They got the first goal. Thomas Frank set his team up. It had his blueprint all over it. And unfortunately for Palace, they just couldn't find that moment.

6:41Let's take a look at the goal then. And this is the moment that separated the two teams. As you said, it came for Archie Gray in the end. And it wasn't, you know, the most efficient of finishes, but he just was in the right place, Jamie. Yeah, I totally agree. Colin Warnley does really well at the back foes, wins that first contact. And then Richarlison shows great athleticism to jump and leap so high to get the next one. Because he's got two, he's got Lacroix around him, he's got Lerma, and then Archie Gray is always on the move. You can see him here. He's just trying to dart in and out of areas.

7:12and he gets in behind Gay, just there, anticipates it, gambles and he gets his rewards. You can see his face there. It's starting to light up now and he's thinking, OK, I've got a nice position here. Can someone just flick it to me? Yes, I'm in. Get a little touch to it and obviously just goes over Mateta's head. He was trying to dip down to get it, but that is what you call jubilation. That is what it's all about as a footballer. It took a while, but it's come for him. I loved it because I was thinking he hasn't quite got his celebration yet. I don't know what his celebration is going to be. It's just going to go mad.

7:41Might not have had one ready just yet. But this is an area that Thomas Frank has been able to improve on with Tottenham. And it's something that he's been working on in the meantime. And it's certainly working for them away from home and worked for them on this occasion. And the match winner, Archie Gray, joins us live now from Selhurst Park. Archie, congratulations. I don't think you've stopped smiling since that goal went in. No, I mean, when I turned around, I didn't see my teammates celebrating me. I was a bit confused. I was like, have I actually just scored? But no, it's a good feeling and definitely one that took too long.

8:15You know, I don't know how long it's taken, especially the one against Leicester for Leeds. It wasn't my goal, but yeah, it's an amazing feeling. Listen, it's 112 appearances, but none of them matter now because you've got your name on the score sheet. And look, that's for Leeds and for Spurs, obviously. But listen, tell me about that moment when the ball's coming into you and you think you've got that opportunity. to be honest I didn't really think about anything it was just like a matter of I'm so close to the goal it wasn't really like I didn't really have to do much I don't think it's on here yeah because obviously I'm so close to the goal all I had to do was just flick it on really I knew Mateta was just stood on the line and Henderson couldn't really react quick enough because the ball's so close to the goal I didn't really have to do much to be fair I can't remember who flicked it on but it was a good flick Archie Jamie read that talk to us about the celebration mate just what's going on there what's going on in your mind that feeling it's the best right?

9:07Oh I can't even describe it to be honest after games even the last one even though like I said it wasn't my goal I remember the feeling and it's the best feeling you know for you work your whole your whole life for that moment and you know hopefully I can just keep keep it going so yeah. Archie, Alan Pardew you know in the dressing room have you been in there yet? Have the boys patted you on the back? Messed you around a little bit? Yeah I mean everyone was just saying and they wasn't expecting it to be a header, you know. I mean, I didn't really expect it to be a header as well, but I think that one came off my dad's instincts.

9:40So, yeah, thankful for my dad for that. Archie, because I'm going to give you a bit, because I've said 112 games, but I've watched your career very closely when you was at Leeds. You played right back, a lot of centre-back last year. So I don't think we should be too unkind on that in terms of where you've had to play. But if you were picking your team and you're the manager, where are you going to play Archie Gray in that Spurs? So where do you feel is your best position? because you play pretty much everywhere for Tottenham Hotspurs. Yeah, definitely. I'm grateful for wherever I play, but I think my best position is like a number eight.

10:10I've played there my whole life pretty much throughout the whole academy. And I think if you ask my dad, if you ask my family, someone who's watched me, you know, my whole of my life, they'll all say a number eight. So I think anywhere in midfield really is, you know, where I'd like to be the most. So, yeah. Yeah, and that's where you'd like to be playing going forward. But being part of this team and getting the victory today, how important was that after just a little run of not quite getting the results? Yeah, definitely. It's been quite a few difficult games, you know, starting from Forest.

10:44Obviously, we've had a few good performances, a few, you know, not so good ones. But like I said, it's just good to get a good result and, you know, turn things around a little bit and hopefully we can carry this on. so yeah. Archie the manager was saying that beforehand that while there might not have been back-to-back good results at times there's never been back-to-back poor performances that it's all you know a poor performance will always be followed by a good performance how important is it for you guys as a group that you managed to bounce back from difficult results? Yeah definitely I think you know I think like I said the Nottingham Forest game was was a difficult result both in you know the performance and the result as well I think that was the most important one where we had to bounce back because, yeah, it was a difficult game and, you know, every day on the training pitch with the manager, we're learning new things and, you know, trying to get better in the unit and the way we press and the way we build up.

11:34It's learning new things every day and we're just getting better as it goes. And Archie is a strict regime as a Premier League footballer, so you don't really get a proper Christmas and New Year, but you've got plenty to celebrate tonight. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well done, Archie. Well done, Archie. Really lovely to hear from Archie Gray there. And lovely that he gets that goal. And you both know what it's like to have that feeling. And he was giggling when you were saying to him that feeling as he just kind of ran away celebrating, Jamie. Absolutely. And he comes from great football pedigree.

12:06He was granddad, uncle, amazing footballers. And obviously his dad was a really good player as well. So for that young man, the feeling and the expectation, he said he's spoken to his dad about it. The first thing he's got to want to do is talk to his family. and that feeling of scoring. And once you've scored, Al, and I'm sure you'll agree that all you're thinking about is now, please let us win. Please let us be the winning goal. Please let me be involved in a winning team, especially when you get your first goal. So delighted for him. And it hasn't been easy. Obviously, since he came to Leeds last year, there was a lot of injuries in defensive positions.

12:34So he had to find himself in lots of positions. Probably made him a better player long term because he's learned how to probably defend. He's fought for it. There's been times he's had to play as a right back, times as a centre back. But like he said, he wants to be a number eight. He wants to be an all-round midfield player. And I think he's certainly showing that. So really pleased for him. And hopefully now he can get a good run of games. And once you get a taste for that, once you score your first goal, you say, OK, I might get another one now. You start to get in the box a bit more. And that's what he certainly needs to add to his game.

13:00And he's got the capability to do so. It's an interesting problem for the manager to try and find a solution to where you've got a player who's played really all the way through in one position, but you need him to do something else, especially when they're young and still developing. Well, I think, you know, the Spurs fans have grown to love him because he's just come in and done a job wherever he's been put. And an honest job, which he did today. I mean, he got the goal, but he was always in position. His positional sense is excellent. And that number eight, I think, is probably him. When you look at his body shape and the power and size of him, he doesn't look like a centre-back or a holding midfielder.

13:34He looks like somebody, you know, you need to release. And I thought he had a good game today. I thought Spurs played a very kind of strategic game. They stopped Crystal Palace at Salks, really. He was part of that. and Richarlison up front, I think Jamie was right, I thought he was excellent in both boxes. Did the job and he gets a lot of criticism at Spurs. So I think there was some real positives for Thomas Frank today in that performance, not least the win. And of course, a 19-year-old getting the winning goal is brilliant as well for everybody. Yeah, really good news story for Tottenham Hotspur.

14:05But for Crystal Palace, the disappointment of another defeat, another game without a victory. Let's hear from Will Hughes, he's with Emma Saunders. Will, you've huffed and puffed out there, haven't you? Where do you think ultimately you've fallen short again today? I'd probably say being ruthless in front of goals. We had our chances throughout the game, just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. I think the manner of the defeat, we can be proud of the performance as a whole, compared to last week against Leeds where I think the manager said we deserved to lose and that was one of the first games in a long time.

14:39The manager's really honest with us in terms of performance but ultimately performance doesn't get you three points and that's why we're frustrated today. That lack of ruthlessness you talk about in front of goal, 12 shots carved out today what's at the bottom of that do you think? Is it a lazy narrative to lean on fatigue and the sheer amount of games that you've had this season? Is it quality of finishing? How do you see it? Yeah definitely lazy to say that because it's nothing to do with energy or fatigue. It's just we're going through one of those stages now. All teams will go through it where they're creating chances but just don't put the ball in the back of the net.

15:13Unfortunately, we're going through that at the moment. We're creating the chances. That's the most important thing. The next stage is putting the ball in the back of the net and the results will change. We've seen that previously. I was kicking you down. Another set-piece goal conceded as well today. As a group of players, are you disappointed in yourself at the nature of that goal? Yes, especially after last week conceding four. I think we've been pretty strong on them previously for the majority of this season. So it's very frustrating because we've got a strong team, an aggressive team. There's minor details.

15:46There's been a lot of goals in the Premier League this season from set plays. So we'll have a look at it again and try and figure out. It's a shame because it is a disappointing end to what has been a truly historic year for this football club. Your 150th appearance today. You've seen a lot in a Bristol Palace shirt. How much do you think you need to lean on the positives of this year as you now turn into 2026 and hopefully turn a corner? Yeah, it's hard to see that now, being emotional after the game, but I think we'll take a step back and look at it over the next few days going into the new year and look back on the year as a whole and see it as very successful for Palace.

16:24Unprecedented in terms of what we've done, the trophies we've won, so right now it's hard to see it like that after the result, but I'm sure this week we'll see it. Thanks for your time today. Thank you. Well, Alan, they will be able to put this into context. After a few days, they'll be able to look back on this year and reflect on the trophy that they've won, reflect on the trophies, plural, that they've won and reflect on the success that they've had in progression in terms of the league. But this one will sting, and particularly because, as Will Hughes said, this sort of lack of effectiveness in front of goal has been a theme for Crystal Palace.

16:57They're the biggest underachievers in terms of XG so far this season. So they're just not being ruthless enough was the word that he used. So just show us what exactly is going wrong for them. Yeah, well, you know, the problem is that, you know, when your main striker is, you know, off form and not quite got the confidence, it's like this strike here. He's hit it between the defender's legs, which is usually a great situation, but he pulls the shot and it goes too wide. This is a well-worked set play. They overload the back post. it's a good chance you know normally you're expecting your striker to score that they didn't create a lot of chances today there's no the right side of the pitch is a little bit of a problem this was Di Veni's chance it's a big one Alan wasn't it yeah this is where he's a left footed player and he he should actually have turned the other way and he would have had a proper chance on goal the Cats have come on and improved them you know and created a couple of situations but it was just flat you know and it's another set play, first contact, it comes back in, good cross this is from Walton, good defensive header, another chance, probably the best chance of the game for Palace and that's what Will Hughes is talking about, it's those moments and the margins that we're talking about in the Premier League, those moments need to go for you and they're just not for Crystal Palace but when you look at the calendar year they've probably had more moments go for them than most clubs.

18:29So, you know, it swings and roundabouts a little bit. And we saw there a couple of chances coming down the left-hand side. But as you said, that right-hand side is a problem at the moment because they've got players missing. Yeah, because Munez has got such energy down that right. And his injury probably impacted this team more than anything. Saar's away with the African, the African. And he's been a source of one of the sort of understudies that doesn't get a lot of attention. But he nicks important goals. and like today is a typical sort of game where he might nick a goal. So there are two or three.

19:01Richards is injured and missed the game. Three big players. But, you know, they're stretched at the moment. 30 games, you know, already. It's a hell of a lot for a squad that small. Yeah, there are other teams in the Premier League whose squads have been decimated either by injury or they've got a lot of players away at AFCON. But for Crystal Palace in particular, and this is something that Oliver Glasner has been talking about since the summer. The squad depth, he feels, isn't there, Jamie. No, it's hard enough. But then you throw into the mix, obviously, being in Europe. They're very unlucky to go out the Carabao Cup on penalties.

19:38I find it really hard to be critical of Crystal Palace. They've been absolutely amazing. The effort from every single player, the management, the staff. They've been a fantastic story. And to win the trophies that they've won, no one would have believed it. But Glasner's done wonderfully well. So they'll be all right. I mean, they'll pick themselves up, lick their wounds and make sure they're ready for, you know, obviously some big games that come up. But he needs to get players back. Richards obviously had that one. He was an important player, that right. Because it's not just when, with Richards being injured, it means that Jefferson Lerma then has to go as a right centre-back.

20:08So, and then you can, it just changes the dynamic in the team. I'm a big Will Hughes fan. He's a lovely footballer to watch. So, you know, he still came in. I thought that he still had a lot of control in that midfield. But it's just tough at the moment. But as I say, I find it hard to be critical because they have done so well. And like Alan says, they're decimated by injuries. Yeah, and then that draw in Europe just means that they have another two-legged playoff. They've got two more games in their calendar and there's more games that they're trying to get through. Do you think they might go for someone in January to try and, or more than one person in January, to try and kind of strengthen their squad a bit?

20:37Well, I think there is that situation with the manager. He's obviously sort of suggesting, I want some more players. His contract's out in the summer. He's probably more important than anything else to keep him at the club. He's done such a tremendous job. So if I was the board, I would certainly be looking to feed him a player or two. Mark Gay as well. Yeah, and Mark Gay is obviously out of contract in the summer. And we could sign a pre-contract in January. Not that that would affect his performances, of course, because we know he's such an honest citizen. He's done brilliant throughout this whole saga with Liverpool.

21:12I just think that with the board that they have there, with the American ownership, that there is finance available. Whether they can get the targets over the line is another matter. Always difficult in January. Here on Sky Sports Premier League, we're going to continue to reflect on Spurs' 1-0 win against Crystal Palace. We'll be hearing from both managers, Oliver Glasner and Thomas Frank, up next.

21:46Sports subscriber, you can watch all the live action directly from the Sky Sports app. Just head to your app store to download it to your device. Not got Sky Sports? Existing Sky customers can upgrade their package. Or if you've not got Sky, you can sign up at sky.com. Now, let's get back to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast.

22:16Sunderland still unbeaten at the Stadium of Light. Simon Odingor opened the scoring in this game, gave Sunderland the lead, but Leeds fought back. Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his hot streak. That's six Premier League games in a row that he's scored in now. Point to piece then at the Stadium of Light, but Spurs took all three points at Selhurst Park. Archie Gray with his first goal to make it Crystal Palace 0, Spurs 1. Let's hear from Thomas Frank with Emma Saunders. Well, Thomas, congratulations. That must feel like a really big, significant win. It was. You asked me before the game, you said it would be important to win.

22:57So I listened to you and we got the three points. Now, jokes aside, a very important win. Clearly a game where desire beats detail. I don't think that we hit a top performance today, but I like how we digged in worked very hard and I think we were very disciplined against that very good Crystal Palace team so we avoided a lot of those small half transition they're very very good at that we really had good positions there and I think we also managed to create enough chances going that way and we also defended very well so I think we gave one chance away in open play and then the rest was was set pieces so to do that in a game that is tricky and come here and win 1-0.