Zaha slammed by Crouch after "stupid" red card in Tottenham thrashing

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch described Wilfried Zaha's red card against Spurs as "stupid".

The Ivory Coast hitman was dismissed for two first-half bookable offences in Crystal Palace 's 3-0 away defeat to the north Londoners.

His second yellow card came after Harry Kane and Lucas Moura fired Antonio Conte's side.to a 2-0 lead, thus ending Patrick Vieira's side's slim chances of getting into the contest.

Both of Zaha's bookings were for challenges on Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez, the second of which being a needless push in the chest.

And Crouch described Zaha's challenges as "stupid" and reckless.

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"It is reckless," Crouch said shortly after his dismissal.

"You could say he went down a bit easy on the first one but it's just stupid you just shouldn't get involved the first one and the second one."

It is not the first time Zaha's temperament has landed himself in hot water.

His dismissal at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium was the second red card of his career, the first of which being awarded in similar circumstances after a confrontation with Southampton 's James Ward-Prowse last season.

And while Crouch feels Zaha is the kind of player who thrives under the drama of confrontations, he feels the 29-year-old does have a tendency to cross the line.

"I just think he's the type of player who wants to be involved in these types of confrontations," Crouch added.

"I don't know if you remember the game at White Hart Lane, he got involved with Tanganga and from then on he played better and raised his game.

"He needs that kind of fire but he's just gone too far and steps over the line on this occasion."

While Zaha made affairs much easier for Tottenham, Conte's side dispatched of Vieira's men in very clinical fashion.

In fact, the visitors were the ones who begun the contest looking the more likely to score, as Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher was a constant menace to the Spurs' backline.

However, a swift Tottenham counterattack involving Emerson Royal and Lucas Moura, culminated in the latter finding the lurking Harry Kane with a cut-back, and the England international clinically dispatched of the chance first time.

Three minutes later, Lucas turned provider, as he rose highest to Emerson's impeccable cross and headed home from close range to double the home side's lead.

Zaha's red card before half-time essentially sealed the three points, before Lucas assisted his second goal and Tottenham's third, crossing for Son Heung-Min to tap home from close range.

The victory over the Eagles means the north Londoners have leap frogged West Ham United into fifth position.,

They are now only five points away from the Champions League places, but do hold three games in hand over fourth placed Arsenal.

Conte has won four of his first six Premier League matches since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo.

Spurs have the perfect opportunity to make further ground of their rivals in the top four, as they travel to face Southampton on the 28th December, before facing Watford on New Years Day.