Postecoglou admits, “Palace handled it better than us.”

Spurs fell short against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou must be feeling the frustration, watching his Tottenham team swing between top-four caliber and mid-table struggles.

Just a week after a four-goal display against West Ham, Spurs fell flat at Palace, who clinched their first win of the season thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal after a six-week dry spell. Mateta’s strike on the half-hour mark lifted Palace out of the relegation zone and eased pressure on manager Oliver Glasner.

Palace’s relentless pressing stifled Spurs, who couldn’t find the form that earned them seven wins in eight games. Postecoglou admitted his side failed to keep their composure, saying, “There was a lot of stop, start and standing around. We didn’t deal with that well and fell into a battle Palace handled better.”

Tottenham’s passing game struggled to flow, as Palace continually disrupted their rhythm. Mateta led the press from the front, scoring the game’s only goal after pouncing on a Spurs miscue. Glasner praised his squad’s pressing and commitment to force mistakes, calling it “a team goal.”

Tottenham’s frustrations continued as their attacks faltered against Palace’s physical defense. Dean Henderson had little to do until late in the half, making a key save from James Maddison. Even teenage debutant Mikey Moore found it difficult to make an impact in the game’s stifling pace.

In the end, Palace’s resilience saw them through, celebrating a much-needed victory as referee Darren Bond’s whistle confirmed Tottenham’s struggles to keep pace in the top tier.