Dwight McNeil's stats vs Tottenham make for grim reading, 12% reveal is embarrassing

McNeil won just 31% of his duels and 12% of aerial contests in Palace's 2-0 loss to Spurs, raising questions about Sage's team selection.

Crystal Palace suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, with manager Pierre Sage's tactical decisions coming under scrutiny. The Eagles were further hampered when Jean-Philippe Mateta received an early red card, leaving Palace to play with ten men for most of the match.

Dwight McNeil, who started for Palace's last two Premier League fixtures, struggled significantly against Spurs. According to FotMob data, McNeil won just four of eight ground duels (50%) and only one of eight aerial duels, giving him a 12% aerial duel success rate and an overall duel success of just 31%. His passing was also poor, completing only five passes with 56% accuracy—the lowest among players who featured for at least half the match.

With Palace managing just 21% possession, McNeil's wastefulness when the ball came to him compounded the team's problems. Sage faces mounting pressure at Selhurst Park, and his future as manager is uncertain. A European tie against Hoffenheim awaits, with Mateta available again after his suspension. Sage may need to make bolder decisions with his starting XI and give more opportunities to summer signings like Dario Osorio and Evann Guessand.