Tottenham followed what has become a familiar pattern to home games this year. They stuttered through the first half, fell behind and summoned a response.
Last time out, it was no enough to avoid defeat but they blew Crystal Palace away with a blaze of three goals in 11 minutes after Eberechi Eze had struck first, with a wonderful free-kick.
Brennan Johnson came off the bench and sparked Spurs into life, creating goals for Timo Werner and Heung-min Son, either side of a header by Christian Romero.
Victory keeps Ange Postecoglou’s team in the pack at the top of the Premier League ahead of a crunch trip to Aston Villa next.
The first half was pedestrian with by far the best chance squandered by Werner. Rodrigo Bentancur won the ball deep in his own territory and Heung-min Son sent Werner racing towards goal.
Cristian Romero celebrates after his goal put Tottenham in the lead against Crystal Palace
Romero scored in the 80th minute, with Tottenham coming from behind to secure victory
Timo Werner scored the equaliser for Tottenham against Palace with his first goal for the club
Eberechi Eze had given Crystal Palace the lead against Tottenham in the 59th minute
His pace kept him clear of the chasing pack led by Adam Wharton but the Germany international could not beat Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. He tried to go around him but Johnstone was quick and brave, and made a fine save at full stretch.
Werner was back in the team to replace Richarlison, injured in a defeat against Wolves, and was deployed on the left wing, with Son through the centre.
Oliver Glasner’s Palace were hard to break down with their wing backs deep making five across the back and wide men Eze, back after four games out, and Jordan Ayew working back on the flanks of midfield.
They fell into a shape more 5-4-1 shape than 3-4-3 and hardly a bold and expansive new style as they embark on life after Roy Hodgson but it was testing Tottenham’s patience, tempting them to over-commit.
Son struck a post, gliding onto a low cross by Dejan Kulusevski and sweeping the ball past Johnstone. It bounced off the woodwork and the incident brought the contest to life.
Palace took the lead from Eze’s beautiful free-kick, punishing a cynical foul by Bentancur as Palace broke dangerously.
Guglielmo Vicario shuffled right in anticipation of the ball coming over his defensive wall but Eze went the other side, whipping a shot with terrific pace and shape inside the post to the goalkeeper’s left.
It made for quite a return on his first appearance after four games out injured. Glasner replaced Eze soon afterwards, presumably with his fitness in mind, although it coincided with the game sliding away from them.
Postecoglou’s response had been to send on Johnson, and had the desired effect. The Wales winger almost levelled immediately, firing over from seven yards after a cross by Werner helped on by Son.
Then Son went close, wriggling past Joel Ward onto his left foot before dragging his shot low across goal and wide, before Johnson created the equaliser.
He won the ball from Joachim Andersen on the Spurs right, skipped by Jefferson Lerma in from the right and his low cross was converted by Werner, his first goal since signing on loan from RB Leipzig in January.
Within three minutes, the home team were ahead. Emerson Royal threw the ball in to James Maddison and his lobbed cross into the penalty area was headed in by Romero, climbing high above Ward.
Son added the third, breaking clear as Johnson won a tackle on halfway. His finish was clinical, and he celebrated his 13th goal of the Premier League campaign.
