As Tottenham trudged down the tunnel at half-time it felt like they were sleepwalking into another poor result. Then, Harry Kane happened.
Spurs were fortunate to not be losing at the break, but against recent convention and despite being second best for long spells, they completed the first 45 minutes unscathed and were rewarded early in the second period - snapping an embarrassing 10-match streak of conceding the first goal in the process.
Kane majestically climbed above the Palace defence to nod home the opener and he produced a textbook driven finish to double his side's lead soon after. Matt Doherty and Son Heung-min - who looked unable to hit a cow's behind with a banjo beforehand - added some gloss to the scoreline as Spurs secured a much-needed victory.
Tottenham have been playing poorly for a long time now, yet they are still remarkably well-placed in the Premier League table. And if they can keep up the level of attacking efficiency they showed in the second half in south-east London, who knows how high they can climb?