Tottenham squandered an early lead in their crucial Premier League match against Crystal Palace, with a red card to defender Micky van de Ven sparking a ten-minute nightmare for the club.
Spurs, currently 16th on the Premier League standings one point above the relegation zone, were leading 1-0 in the 34th minute courtesy of a goal to Dominic Solanke, who flicked home a cross from Archie Gray.
However, the contest turned on its head four minutes later when van de Ven was shown a red card for tugging the arm of Ismaïla Sarr, denying a goalscoring opportunity.
In a chaotic ten-minute passage, Tottenham then conceded three goals before halftime, included two during added time, with the hosts trailing 3-1 during the break. Spurs fans were seen leaving the venue before the halftime whistle, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed by the crowd.
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“I’ve not seen a collapse like this in a very, very long time,” Sky Sports’ Pete Gill said.
“The goal has sparked a mass exodus of Tottenham fans.
“Brilliant from Palace. But a total implosion from Tottenham.
“We can see on the television cameras that a significant number of Tottenham fans haven’t merely left their seats, but left the stadium as well.”
BBC Radio 5 commentator Jonathan Pearce added: “Spurs have shot themselves in the foot.”
Sarr was responsible for two of Crystal Palace’s goals, including the subsequent penalty following van de Ven’s booking, while Jørgen Strand Larsen scored the other.
Earlier, Crystal Palace were denied the opener in 29th minute due to VAR verdict that showed Varr was in an off-side position.
More to come …