BBC journalist singles out Crystal Palace star who has badly let Pierre Sage down after Tottenham display
BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty has slammed Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta for letting manager Pierre Sage down badly after being shown a straight red card during Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
The disastrous moment came early in the first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leaving the visitors down to ten men in a fixture where they were already facing immense pressure.
Mateta lunged in recklessly on Spurs center-back Micky van de Ven, catching the defender right down the back of his Achilles with a dangerous, late tackle.
The referee had no hesitation in producing a direct red card, forcing Sage to completely alter his tactical plan with over 70 minutes remaining in the contest.
Watch the incident below
Jean-Philippe Mateta receives his first red card for Crystal Palace! ? pic.twitter.com/U9UYb29mbk
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 31, 2026
Phil McNulty says Mateta has let his manager down
Reporting live from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty pulled no punches in his scathing assessment of the Frenchman’s momentary lapse in discipline.
McNulty highlighted how Sage’s job security is already on thin ice amid Palace’s dismal form, making Mateta’s indiscipline even more damaging for the club’s struggling head coach.
He said (quotes via BBC Sport Live):
“What reckless stupidity from Jean-Philippe Mateta. Totally needless and no doubt it was a red card, a lunge right down the back of Micky van de Ven’s Achilles.
“Palace head coach Pierre Sage needed all hands on deck today but his striker has let him down badly.”
Archie Gray puts Spurs ahead from stunning Kudus delivery
Capitalizing on their numerical advantage, Tottenham quickly turned the screw and broke the deadlock in the 25th minute.
Mohammed Kudus served up a magnificent, looping corner kick deep toward the far post.
Young midfielder Archie Gray, left completely unmarked by the Palace defense, rose highest to guide a header across goal and into the net to give Spurs a 1-0 lead.
With half-time played, 10-man Palace face a daunting mountain to climb in North London.
Spurs take the lead through an Archie Gray header! ? pic.twitter.com/qSCECkOJur
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 31, 2026
Tottenham beginning to build momentum
Spurs have had a difficult start to the 26/27 season despite a heavy spending summer transfer window which saw them rebuild their midfield, signing big guns like Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Roberto De Zerbi also signed Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for a significant fee along with some shrewd free transfers like Andy Robertson from Liverpool and Marcos Senesi to bolster the defence.
Despite the heavy spending, Spurs struggled to convert performances into results, however, pundits and fellow manager like Unai Emery remained convinced that it is only a matter of time before De Zerbi’s side starts winning games.
And it appears that they have now started to gather momentum. Win against Coventry was followed by an impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week.
With them now leading 1-0 against a 10-men Palace, they are 45 minutes away from winning their third game in a row.
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