Alan Pardew has Crystal Palace flying again

Crystal Palace 2 Tottenham 1: Alan Pardew could have no complaints about a homecoming that went exactly to plan.

The new Crystal Palace manager, however, knows the club’s activity during the remaining days of the transfer window will be decisive in determining whether the more important target of avoiding relegation is achieved.

Certainly, the evidence of the second half suggested this Palace squad is capable of repeating its feat of last season, when Tony Pulis oversaw a transformation from basket case into a team capable of upsetting anyone.