Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace RESULT: Son Heung-Min hits stunning effort to seal the win Wembley

MATT BARLOW AT WEMBLEY: Tottenham needed a superb curling goal from Son Heung-Min to wrestle three points off lowly Crystal Palace. 

Judging off this display Roy Hogdson's men - who are stranded at the bottom of the table - are in a false position. They had numerous opportunities at Wembley but were denied by debutant Paulo Gazzaniga in goal, though a few times could have been more clinical - Wilfried Zaha in particular who rounded the keeper but put his shot wide from a tight angle when the game was 0-0.

Palace started the game brightly and had an attack straight away, but unfortunately for them it was Mamadou Sakho who found himself in unfamiliar territory and with a golden opportunity. Put off by the rushing Gazzaniga he misjudged the flight of the ball and couldn't connect with his header.

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A late flourish from Palace threatened to steal a point away from Spurs as Townsend cuts in on his favoured left foot.

But again the sheer amount of bodies in the way means his shot ricochets off Eric Dier.

Third and final replacement for Spurs

Townsend is released by Loftus-Cheek and he does well to escape the challenge of Vertonghen.

He looks up to see a crowded box as he speculatively fizzes one low. It doesn't make it through the legs of the Spurs' defenders and another promising situation fizzles out.

Davinson Sacnhez fashions himself a chance after out-muscling his marker in the box.

He heads into the ground and the ball bounces agonisingly high and wide.

Another opportunity to double the lead... will it come back to haunt them?

A ball over the top seeks out Loftus-Cheek, who is running across the face of the box.

Gazzaniga, who really has had a brilliant game, leaves his post to sprint out to gather and it's confident keeping again.

The faintest touch from Loftus-Cheek would have taken it around the Spurs custodian for an easy finish.

Vertonghen intercepts a pass and releases Son down the flank.

The Palace defence is wide open now as they push for an equaliser.

He dribbles towards goal and gives Speroni the eyes to the far post, but he tries to be too cute with it and pulls it past the near post.

That really should have been his, and the Spurs', second.

Zaha is the thorn in this Tottenham side and the constant worry Mauricio Pochettino will have in the back of his mind.

He is too quick and too awkward for the full backs to deal with and wins yet another corner.

Dann's head sails harmlessly over the bar.

Palace: Bakary Sakho on Joel Ward off

Tottenham: Fernando Llorente on Harry Kane off

This is really opening up now.

A three on one for Spurs is squandered and within seconds Palace earn a corner at the other end.

It seems this is the way they are going to break through this Spurs defence — they clearly have the height advantage.

Gazzaniga flaps at it... but again a chance cannot be created.

A chance goes begging to level there.

Zaha is found in a lovely position down the left and he cuts inside. He sees the goal in one eye and Loftus-Cheek bursting into the box in the corner of the other.

He opts for goal, which was the wrong decision.

Loftus-Cheek was in acres of space at the back stick there.

Another opportunity wasted.

A goal, and boy did Spurs need that. 

All started again by Danny Rose down the left, who had his own chance to score but was blocked.

The ball falls to Sissoko, who drills another low ball in and Cabaye's dreadful clearance falls to Son just outside the box.

The South Korean shifts it onto his left, looks up, and whips it expertly inside Speroni's right-hand post.

Danny Rose is in absolutely acres of space on the left for Spurs.

He is found by Son and again looks up and picks his spot. He slides it across and his Serge Aurier dives but it's just out of his reach!

Centimetres. 

Reaction save there from Gazzaniga! Palace are really banging down the door here — from nowhere it must be said.

A corner flicks off Eric Dier's shoulders and Milivojevic is free just three yards out at the back post.

He turns the ball towards goal with his head but Gazzaniga, again, to the rescue as the keeper makes himself big to deny the midfielder.

Big moments here at Wembley.

It's Zaha again after another awful pass by Aurier. The right back gifts possession to Townsend, who releases Zaha through on goal.

Gazzaniga comes rushing out to close the forward down but Zaha rounds the keeper and has an open goal gaping.

But the former Manchester United man fluffs his lines and scuffs the ball horrendously wide.

That should have been 1-0 and would have been a huge lifeline for Roy Hodgson's side.

But, and I cannot stress this enough, truly terrible from Aurier.

Jeff Schlupp hauls down Serge Aurier, again obviously, and Kevin Friend brandishes the yellow. Free-kick Spurs on the right wing.

It has to be said that Palace look bereft of ideas unless Zaha or Townsend are in possession.

As soon as any Eagles midfielder has the ball their first port of call is to ping a through ball to one of the forwards.

Zaha is this time the benificiary, who wins a free-kick from Sissoko. The ball is then worked forward and out for a Palace corner, but Gazzaniga gathers.

More joy for Danny Rose on this left-hand side. Fosu-Mensah nowhere to be seen and the England international fizzes another low ball across goal which is brushed behind for a corner.

It's the flanks where Spurs are enjoying the success. Sissoko's cross, this time on the right, is then seen out for another corner.

Neither set-piece comes to anything, however. But this is looking ominous.

Woeful pass by Serge Aurier inside his own half is picked up by Andros Townsend, who pins his ears back and makes a bee-line for the Spurs box.

Eric Dier is not quick enough to get to the winger as Townsend pulls the trigger across the face of goal.

Gazzaniga gets down low to his left and expertly tips wide of the post at full stretch. A big pat on the back for the keeper there.

Unsure whether this is tactical or due to an injury at the moment. Winks did get a knock.

The most obvious of yellow cards. Andros Townsend clings onto Moussa Sissoko's shirt for dear life right in front of Kevin Friend.

First yellow card of the afternoon.

Harry Winks releases Son into the box as Harry Kane bursts through the middle and is screaming for the pass.

Son delays too long and is instead forced to shoot but his left-footed effort sweeps across the face of goal for a goal kick as Kane is left with his head in his hands, unmarked, near the penalty spot.

After a frenetic few minutes both teams regroup and settle into a little phase of passing.

The game tightens up in midfield and passes are harder to thread.

Spurs again resort to crosses into the box and long-range shots.

Vertonghen winds up his left foot and his 35-yard effort is deflected, which wrong-foots Speroni, but the keeper recovers to collect calmly.

At the other end, a corner towards the back post is met by the towering Scott Dann, who leaps and heads across goal.

The ball travels through a crowd of defenders and Gazzaniga is called into action as he dives and stucks out a left hand to save brilliantly.

The pick of the chances so far this half.

Beautiful interplay by Kane and Rose down the flank as the striker releases his compatriot down the wing.

Rose cuts back and looks up but his cross is deflected up in the air. 

The Spurs hitman then runs onto the ball, which has looped into the air, but is unable to keep it down and it goes safely over the bar,

Palace look like giants compared to Spurs. Another corner sees Sakho, Loftus-Cheek, Fosu-Mensah and Dann coming up against the likes of Son and Harry Winks.

Saying that, Aurier persists with lumping it into the box as he sends one to the back post and Danny Rose comes surging onto it. 

But a horrible header sees the left back miss the target by at least 10 yards.

Possibly the most clear chance of the half for the hosts.

Rose bursts down the left for Spurs and his cross is blocked by the big presence of Fosu-Mensah and he wins a corner.

It falls to Son at the edge of the box and he hits it low into the box but, again, it does not make it past the first defender in a congested Palace box. 

Easy to defend.

It's just not working for Tottenham. They are trying to be their usual quick and precise selves but it's not quite there.

The sharp one-twos are just evading the receivers, the balls over the top are not landing, crosses not beating the first man.

Spurs enjoying more possession but will be frustrated they haven't created a clear chance as yet.

A collective sigh of relief from the Wembley faithful as Kane trots back onto the field.

Pochettino will have had his heart in his mouth there.

Harry Kane comes under a heavy challenge from Fosu-Mensah and is down and the Tottenham medical team are back out onto the pitch again.

He hobbles off and it doesn't look great for the striker. We will keep an eye on that one.

Harry Winks is shepherded to the touchline after getting a knock.

Looked painful but nothing the midfielder can't run off. He will return to the fray shortly.

Zaha found again and Dier is again called upon as Schlupp's delightful ball around the back is met by the winger.

A sliding challenge by the Englishman keeps Zaha at bay - for now.

Corner Palace.

Zaha opens his legs up for the first time and has the beating of Aurier as the winger bursts down the flank.

It took a covering Eric Dier to quell the danger but that is certainly an area Palace will be looking to exploit this afternoon.

Christian Eriksen finds himself in some space 25 yards out and is again not afraid to unleash a shot. The sizeable Sakho is there to block.

Danny Rose then whips the ball in low but another scrambling defensive effort keeps the ball out.

Spurs beginning to look sharp.

First shot on target. Kane receives the ball from Vertonghen with his back to goal.

He turns his defender before unleashing an  effort from 30 yards. It's a disappointing one, however, and Speroni snaffles easily.

Interesting early clash as Paulo Gazzaniga catches Sakho instead of the ball in the penalty area. 

Technically a penalty - almost never given. 

Big test for Danny Rose today, you feel. Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha down the flanks will be a tough test for him after such a long lay-off.

He deals with Loftus-Cheek's burst, who Cabaye tried to release on goal, but the England defender was equal to the task.

Spurs finally get their foot on the ball. Eric Dier playing in that quarter-back role as a sweeper in defence, receiving the ball, picking his head up and spraying passes.

A lovely ball out to Aurier down the flank seees the defender whip a ball into the box but it comes to nothing.

It's Crystal Palace who enjoy the lion's share of possession in the opening exchanges. Kevin Friend blows for a foul as Harry Winks goes into a tackle a little clumsily just inside the Spurs half.

Gazzaniga orchestrates his wall and Cabaye's ball into the box is dealt with comfortably.

Zaha then picks up and clips a delightful ball into the box and Mamadou Sakho challenges for it. The keeper makes himself big and the ball beats everyone and goes out of a goal kick.

Sakho down after a collision with the keeper.

Kick-off at Wembley!

Both teams, donning poppies on their shirts, observe a minute's silence ahead of the match to commemorate lives lost during World Wars.

Both teams stride out at Wembley as referee Kevin Friend picks up the ball and walks out to the middle of the park.

A minute's silence will be observed before kick-off.

When asked whether Pochettino works his squad hard, pundit Jermaine Jenas told BT Sport: ‘Yes he does, but you have to take the rough with the smooth.

'When you watch them play, the intensity they have on the pitch, and how many times have we sat here and gone: "Oh, they're so fit"... it's amazing at the back end of the season, how much energy they have still got. That is because of how hard he trains them and how hard they work.

'Every now and again it bites you. Right now, those injuries he's sustained to the squad will hurt him.

'They will have a look at it, I'm sure, and see if they're doing too much. I know pretty well how he trains the players, and I'm sure they'll continue in the way they are.’

Mauricio Pochettino has spoken and insists Dele Alli's injury is not cause for concern and his omission is simply precautionary.

'Dele suffered a minor injury in his hamstring after the game against Real Madrid,' he told BT Sport. 'And it's not a big issue but cannot be avoidable, like Hugo Lloris or Michel Vorm

'Because yesterday he (Vorm) suffered a minor issue in his knee.

'That is why the squad is so important and why everyone must feel part of the project.

'Now we must show we are a real team.'

Well, some place to make your debut, eh?

Granted Wembley is Spurs' adopted home ground, but still. Paulo Gazzaniga heads out for the warm up at the home of English football as he dons the gloves for the first time in a Tottenham shirt.

Can he fill Hugo Lloris' big boots? (Or should I say gloves?)

Crystal Palace have made two changes from their 2-2 draw against West Ham last weekend.

Mamadou Sakho has recovered in time to start at centre half as James Tomkins must settle for a place on the bench.

Manchester United loanee Timothy Fosu-Mensah comes in for the injured Patrick van Aanholt, who is absent with a hamstring problem.

Spurs are perched in third place hoping to keep the pressure on at the top.

Meanwhile Palace's position looks bleak as Roy Hodgson's squad prop up the bottom of the table.

No Mauricio Pochettino side has ever conceded a goal at home to Crystal Palace.

Previous record: 2-0 (2013, Southampton)

0-0 (2014)

1-0 (2015)

1-0 (2016)

Brick wall? Debutant Paulo Gazzaniga has some record to maintain...

Tottenham: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Son, Kane

Subs: Whiteman, Davies, Foyth, Trippier, Dembele, Nkoudou, Llorente 

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Sakho, Fosu-Mensah, Milvojevic, Cabaye, Schlupp, Loftus-Cheek, Townsend, Zaha 

Subs: Hennessey, Tomkins, Souare, Riedewald, McArthur, Puncheon 

The warmest of welcomes to Sportsmail's coverage of Tottenham vs Crystal Palace.

A David vs Goliath clash by anyone's standards at Wembley — and Roy Hodgson's side will be desperate for a shock result in this all-London clash.

Michel Vorm is set to deputise for the injured Hugo Lloris in goal, while Toby Alderweireld will also miss the clash.

Mamadou Sakho and James McArthur will both be in contention to start for the visitors.

Full team news at 11am, brought to you as soon as we have it. Stay tuned!