Ryan Mason gets boost Tottenham desperately needed in 1-0 Crystal Palace win

Ryan Mason killed two birds with one stone in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Mason’s team had been showing signs of revival in his first two games and they finally recorded their first win since he took over from Cristian Stellini at the third attempt.

Resilience and tenacity were shown in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they would have been gutted to have lost 4-3 to Liverpool having worked hard to come from three goals down to draw 3-3 before a lapse in concentration led to the defeat at Anfield.

Against Crystal Palace, the 31-year-old had to make changes in personnel and system, dropping the often untouchable Eric Dier and playing Cristian Romero and Clement Lenglet at the heart of a four-man defence.

That was a bold call to make and also pushed the often marauding Pedro Porro to play almost as a winger, unleashing his attacking instincts which were perfectly demonstrated in the Harry Kane goal where he stretched the line, took his time, and delivered a good cross for the striker to head home.

The win sees Tottenham back to sixth in the league table, ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion who take on Everton on Monday night.

Fans of the club will be delighted with the changes to the team since Mason took over and the fact that he’s getting them to start playing for the badge is why most always felt it was always a good idea to give him the job once they had decided to get rid of Antonio Conte.

Games against Aston Villa, Brentford, and Leeds will tell more about Mason’s managerial credentials but the Eagles win is a perfect platform to build on and get some momentum to end the season.