Spurs learn to win ugly against Crystal Palace

Tottenham 1 - Crystal Palace 0: If the measure of a team that is going places is the ability to win ‘ugly’ when necessary, Tottenham passed their latest test with a functional win over lowly Crystal Palace that was in stark contrast to their thrilling victory over Real Madrid in midweek.

Inflicting more pain on the Premier League’s whipping boys should be straightforward when you have just given the European Champions a sound beating, but too often in the past Tottenham have failed to show the ruthlessness to follow up one fine result with another.

And while a 1-0 win over the league’s bottom club was nothing like the high octane affair against Zinedine Zidane’s men on Wednesday, Spurs showed their credentials as title challengers by digging out another three points to keep them ahead of Chelsea and in touch with the Manchester clubs above them.