Video: a brace and a sending-off: Tottenham beat Palace and keep United above the relegation line
Spurs secure third consecutive win
Tottenham Hotspur made their numerical advantage count against Crystal Palace, running out 2-0 winners on Saturday to climb to eighth in the Premier League on 12 points. It was a third straight victory.
The result spared Manchester United's blushes and kept them one place above the drop zone, level with Palace, after they slipped to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the same round.
Palace started cautiously, sitting behind a defensive block while Spurs looked to set the tempo early.
The visitors nearly stole a march on their hosts in the 10th minute, only for Antonin Kinsky to deal with Daichi Kamada's effort.
Then came the turning point. In the 12th minute, the video assistant referee flagged Jean-Philippe Mateta's violent challenge on Micky van de Ven. The referee, who had initially shown a yellow card, upgraded his decision to a red, leaving Palace to play the rest of the match with ten men from the 13th minute.
Archie Gray picked up a booking in the 15th minute. Spurs soon made their extra man tell, breaking the deadlock in the 25th when Gray rose unmarked at the far post to head home Mohammed Kudus's corner.
Tottenham kept pressing, but Henderson stood firm. He dealt with a fierce Dominic Solanke strike in the 51st minute and denied Robertson another in the 71st.
Jan-Paul van Hecke doubled the lead in the 73rd minute. Jay de Canvout's header came back off the crossbar and the Spurs defender was on hand to turn in the rebound.
Henderson shone again in the 81st minute, dealing with a powerful Sandro Tonali effort. At the other end, Kudus wasted a glorious chance in the 90th, lifting Luka Williams-Barnett's cross over the bar from close range.
The closing stages handed Williams-Barnett his Premier League debut, the youngster coming off the bench for Mathys Tel in the 88th minute.
Spurs saw out the result to pocket three more points. Crystal Palace stay on seven, down in 18th and third from bottom.
