Premier League release statements after Tottenham vs Crystal Palace drama

The Premier League have confirmed that Crystal Palace's eighth-minute strike against Tottenham Hotspur was ruled out because of an offside by Jean Philippe Mateta in the build-up.

However, Eberechi Eze would find the net in first-half injury time and that effort would survive the same checks.

in good spirits having secured passage to the Europa League final just days ago.

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With minds perhaps on that fixture later this month, it was Oliver Glasner's side who got off to the faster start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and they thought they had gained the lead through Ismaila Sarr.

However, after on-field referee Chris Kavanagh had signalled for a goal, his VAR Graham Scott found that Mateta had strayed beyond the last man in the build-up play.

A statement on the Premier League's Match Centre account on X read: "VAR checked the referee's call of goal – and established that Mateta was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

The process was able to be completed quickly using the newly-introduced semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), and a visual was provided for greater clarity:

With the scoreline goalless heading towards the 45th minute, Eze was eventually able to put the ball in the back of the net for Palace again.

Kavanagh gave the all clear and this time Scott did too, with the resulting second statement confirming that right-back Daniel Munoz, who assisted his teammate, did not stray offside as Mateta had done previously.

The Match Centre clarified: "The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Munoz in an onside position in the build-up."

Therefore Ange Postecoglou's side went in one-goal down at the break, further disappointed because of Daniel Kulusevski's injury that forced his 19th-minute substitution.

And they would be further behind after half time through Eze again, scoring three minutes after the interval.