- Spurs stage 1st game in new stadium
- Eriksen with assist, goal
- Son scores first goal in stadium history
- JPW: Stadium a game changer
Heung-min Son and Christian Eriksen scored second half goals as Tottenham Hotspur opened their new stadium with 2-0 defeat of Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
The win puts Spurs back into third place on 63 points, while Palace is 13th with 36.
[ MORE: Watch full PL match replays ]
The first half was, quite obviously, a half of firsts. Dele Alli registered the first shot on target in the Premier League history of the new stadium.
Vicente Guaita made a low stop on Christian Eriksen before taking a poke from a rebound-hunting Heung-min Son.
Son ran onto an Eriksen through ball and lashed a shot that Guaita fumbled out of bounds for a corner.
Spurs had several claims for handball in the Palace box, but no call arrived at home.
Eriksen added a goal in the 80th minute, falling backward amidst penalty cries when he hit the ball past Guaita.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
59 - Christian Eriksen has now assisted 59 goals in his 200 Premier League games; only Cesc Fàbregas (66), David Beckham (62), Thierry Henry (61) and Dennis Bergkamp (60) provided more in their first 200 appearances in the competition. Greats. pic.twitter.com/jSjOWO1s3e
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 3, 2019
[ MORE: Premier League schedule ]
Spurs had most of the ball in the early stages of the second half as well, save a Michy Batshuayi shot wide of the post.
Then Son went into the history books as the first goal scorer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking a touch to the middle before shooting across his body with a left-footer that took a wicked deflection to beat Guaita in the 55th.
A blocked pass sprung Harry Kane on goal, but he floated his effort wide of the gaping frame after beating Guaita.
Palace had its chances late, but the stars were aligned to give Hugo Lloris a clean sheet at the new stadium.
🙌 This is how Tottenham’s incredible South Stand reacted to Heung-min Son scoring the first ever goal at their new stadium.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) April 3, 2019
Wow. 17,000+ fans going bonkers in one stand behind the goal. #SpursNewStadium #THFC #COYS #PLonNBC #SpursAreHome pic.twitter.com/zG74NPfQIq