Tottenham: Guglielmo Vicario questions Spurs 'desire to fight' after Crystal Palace defeat

Spurs connected Sunday became the archetypal squad to suffer to their London rivals successful the Premier League truthful acold this season, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half onslaught proving capable to settee a notably scrappy matter astatine Selhurst Park.

It was a hugely frustrating show from the visitors, who had 66 per cent possession connected the time but struggled to make clear-cut chances successful the lack of skipper Heung-min Son, who was sidelined again having experienced soreness successful the aftermath of his comeback from a hamstring wounded against West Ham past weekend.

Though Spurs person flashed their prime connected respective occasions this play some domestically and with 3 consecutive wins successful the Europa League, they stay taxable to frustrating inconsistency, with their nonaccomplishment astatine Palace coming conscionable a fewer weeks aft they led 2-0 astatine half-time distant astatine Brighton earlier collapsing to suffer 3-2 successful what manager Ange Postecoglou labelled arsenic the worst decision of his tenure truthful far.

Now goalkeeper Vicario has admitted that Tottenham were simply outfought by an Eagles squad hopeless to unafraid a archetypal league triumph of the play and easiness immoderate of the mounting unit connected caput manager Oliver Glasner.

"They combat and I deliberation we lacked that today,” the Italian said, per BBC Sport. “We are disappointed due to the fact that we person to fight. We play bully football, but possibly we sometimes deficiency the tendency to fight. They showed a existent tendency to combat for something.

"I conscionable privation to absorption connected america and what we didn't bash arsenic a team. I deliberation we lacked a spot of vigor and to beryllium amended than them. We person to instrumentality this personally and it has to wounded america a lot.

"Football gives america an accidental again and we person to beryllium acceptable for the cupful [against Manchester City]."

Vicario was not consenting to usage Son’s lack arsenic an excuse for their show astatine Selhurst, insisting that they indispensable find ways to triumph matches without their influential skipper.

"He is the captain, but we person a large squad and we person to woody with that,” helium said. “We person to beryllium capable to triumph games without Son. We lacked something, not successful shot but successful cognition and fight."