Since the return of the Premier League from the World Cup break, Tottenham Hotspur has had to deal with a poor run of form, one that has seen them winless in two matches.

Antonio Conte blames this on the number of Tottenham Hotspur players who played till the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup, including the World Cup final.

Tottenham conceded four goals in their last two games, including 2 in a 2-2 draw with Brentford and another two in a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Therefore, it was imperative for Spurs to get a victory as Manchester United had leapfrogged them into fourth on the Premier League table.

Wednesday’s travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace was the first step to redeeming their Champions League race.

For Patrick Vieira’s side, it was their first game in the new year, but their last Premier League game was a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. The Eagles had an impressive first half but ending it goalless was something they would regret for the second half.

Two goals in five second-half minutes from England striker Harry Kane put Tottenham Hotspur in the lead. The England skipper’s first goal came three minutes after the break before making it 2-0 in the 53rd minute.

Defender Matt Doherty and Son Heung-Min sealed the victory with goals in the 68th and 72nd minutes, respectively.

Which the win, Spurs are now in the fifth position with 33 points, two points behind 4th place Manchester United, although Antonio Conte’s side has played a game more than Erik Ten Hag’s.

Crystal Palace are in 12th with 17 games played and 22 points gathered.

In all the games on Wednesday, Nottingham Forest beat Southampton by a single goal to nil. Leeds United and West Ham played a 2-2 draw, while Aston Villa and Wolves played a 1-1 draw.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu