Yet the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel [KMI] - which reviews the big refereeing decisions each week - has ruled Krejci should not have been cautioned for his first offence, when he brought down Ismaila Sarr.
Just three minutes later he was issued a second yellow card for kicking the ball away and delaying the restart.
Palace went onto win the game after Evann Guessand's injury-time winner.
"The first challenge by Krejci was clearly not reckless or stopping a promising attack and therefore, the caution was ruled incorrect," wrote the five-person panel, which was unanimous in their decision.
"The second caution for delaying the restart was supported as correct but overall, the referee's decision to send off for two bookable offences was incorrect."
Krejci was banned for the 2-0 win over Aston Villa but returned for Tuesday's late 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
Francis: Desperately poor again from Spurs. This is what happens when a club shops in the bargain basement year after year. Embarrassingly inept squad and unthinking ownership have killed our club.
Neil: Inept and clueless. The worst squad and worst football ever, and I've supported them for over 60 years. Even if the injured players were back. The board deserves a lot of responsibility. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min falsely inflated our past performances.
Jimi: As a season ticket holder, all I want is for this season to be over so I can relinquish my seat for some other unsuspecting fool who will regard this utter garbage as entertainment.
Dave: An abysmal first half truly unravelled in the last 15 minutes or so and a must-win game was lost. However - and I'm clutching at straws here - did we see the green shoots of recovery sprouting in a much-improved second half with 10 men? I hope so, because if not we are not going to get out of this mess. The majority of our players really need to have a serious word with themselves. Managers don't do stupid things on the pitch, players do that. After sending them out early for the second half, I think more tough love is required. COYS.
Andy: When you can't keep the ball for long enough in the opposition's half to do anything with it and when you make average teams like Fulham and Crystal Palace look like like Real Madrid and Barcelona, you know you don't belong in the top flight. Over the past seven years, we've recruited an army of low-quality players and made all the wrong managerial choices. We deserve to go down and we will go down.
Crystal Palace fans
Allan: At last, Palace are starting to play like a coordinated team. Well done, Mr Glasner!
Steve: Palace dominated the first half by playing some very nice football. Going a goal behind seemed to provoke them into some of their best play for some time. Adam Wharton was at his creative best, Ismaila Sarr reminded us of the player he was last season and Jorgen Strand Larsen did what we all want him to do. It promises to be a very good run-in to the end of the season.
Lee: Very good first half. Wharton was excellent with his vision and passing. Thoroughly deserved victory - onwards to Europe next Thursday.
Trev: It's good to see that the real Palace are back, despite yet another highly marginal VAR decision. If you can be offside with just your nose, football has gone mad.
Glasner far from finishedpublished at 23:30 GMT 5 March
23:30 GMT 5 March
Keifer MacDonald BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Two weeks is a long time in football - just ask Oliver Glasner.
It was before Crystal Palace's Premier League match against Wolves on 22 February that supporters at Selhurst Park labelled Glasner as "finished".
Since winning the FA Cup and securing Conference League qualification last season, it has been a difficult couple of months for the Austrian.
After announcing in January that he would leave the club at the end of the season, Glasner was accused by sections of the fanbase of "downing tools" as his side embarked on a nine-game winless run in the Premier League.
On Thursday, however, Palace looked like the team they were last season as they stunned Tottenham inside 12 first-half minutes after brilliant individual performances from Wharton and Sarr.
If the south Londoners are able to build on this impressive result - which takes them to three wins in the past five Premier League games - it will stand them in good stead as they prepare for the latter stages of the Conference League.
It could also mean there is still one final, exciting chapter to be written in Glasner's Crystal Palace career.
Tottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace: What Glasner saidpublished at 23:07 GMT 5 March
23:07 GMT 5 March
Media caption,
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, spoke to BBC Match of The Day after his side's victory at Tottenham: "It was a satisfying evening, especially with the result and the first-half performance. I wasn't very pleased with the second half, we didn't control the game in the way we wanted with one extra player. We gave them too many set-plays and dangerous opportunities around the box, but these things can happen.
"What I loved most is the reaction after we conceded the goal; it was great coming back scoring fantastic goals. But we also have to be critical that we could have done better in the second half. This is what we will work on now, consistency over the full game."
Was the drop in the second half a mental thing? "It shouldn't come into it. You can control the game in possession, but you need to be sharp out of posession and we are not sharp enough. We have to put more pressure on the ball and be more sharp on second balls. This is what we can improve."
On the Palace's opener being ruled out for offside: "I have seen the line, I think it was the forehead or the nose. Of course you can score a goal with the nose. I have seen a few very tight decisions, but today it didn't matter."
On Adam Wharton: "We know that he has a great pass and has great orientation. For me, the best goal was the second; we lost the ball on the edge of the box but we were really sharp with our counter-pressing. It is always a team effort.
"Adam is coming closer and closer to his first Premier League goal, he had a big finish after 30 seconds, but his assists are nice."
On Daniel Munoz: "It is a shoulder injury. Right now his arm is in a brace. Let's hope it's not too bad."
Did you know?
Palace have won three of their past five Premier League games (lost two), as many as in their previous 14 matches in the competition (drawn four, lost seven).
In the opposite dugout, Oliver Glasner makes two changes from his side's defeat against Manchester United last weekend.
After Maxence Lacroix's red card at Old Trafford, Chadi Riad comes in at the heart of the defence, while Brennan Johnson misses out on a start against his former club as he is replaced by Evann Guessand.
Tottenham v Crystal Palace: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 15:06 GMT 5 March
15:06 GMT 5 March
Paul Birch BBC Sport journalist
Tottenham continue their battle for Premier League survival against a Crystal Palace side who still need points to secure safety themselves. BBC Sport takes a look at the key themes before this huge clash towards the foot of the table.
Thursday marks 67 days since Tottenham last enjoyed a league victory, while its almost three months since they celebrated a top-flight win in front of their own fans.
Defeat by Fulham on Sunday equalled their longest winless run in the Premier League of 10 games, set under Ossie Ardiles in 1994. They last went 11 matches without a league victory between August and October in 1975.
These are dark days and unless they can arrest their shocking form, playing in the second tier for the first time since the 1977-78 season is becoming a real possibility.
New interim head coach Igor Tudor, who has lost two from two, was very bullish in his opening news conferences but after just 180 minutes of action on the pitch, he seems utterly exasperated with the task he has taken on.
"We lack when we attack," he said of his side post-Fulham. "We are lacking the quality to score the goal. We are lacking in the middle to run. We are lacking behind to stay there and suffer and not concede the goal. Physically, I believe, we are not in an amazing situation."
When the boss says in public you have problems in attack, defence and fitness you know you are in trouble. Given Spurs have led in league matches for a total of just seven minutes since 7 January his words should not come as a surprise.
Historically, a fixture with Crystal Palace has normally proved to be a three-point banker for Spurs, but not anymore.
After a run of just one defeat in 18 Premier League games with the Eagles, they have lost two of the last three.
That includes Palace ending a run of nine consecutive losses at Spurs with a 2-0 away victory last season that sets up their chance to secure back-to-back league victories at Tottenham for the first time.
The bad omens keep coming for the north Londoners. They have lost six of their last seven home league London derbies, including a Premier League club record of four already this season.
That is in drastic contrast to Palace's run of only one loss in their last nine top-flight London derbies (W5, D3) on the road, and that came at league leaders Arsenal.
Six of the Eagles' nine league wins this season have come away from home and they were on course to make it seven until Maxence Lacroix gave away a penalty and was sent off against Manchester United on Sunday.
It took their tally of points lost from winning positions this season to 19, second only to West Ham's 20, and just four points shy of the Eagles' most ever in a Premier League campaign set in 2023-24.
Those hoping for a goalfest might be disappointed as the goals-per-game average for Thursday night matches this season is currently the lowest on any day of the week in a Premier League campaign that's had more than one game played on it.
To compound their misery, Spurs are winless in their last 12 Premier League games on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday dating back over two years to January 2024.
Joining Palace 'deeper' than working with Glasner - Strand Larsenpublished at 12:08 GMT 5 March
12:08 GMT 5 March
Image source, Getty Images
Jorgen Strand Larsen says Crystal Palace was the "perfect fit" for him in January and that he felt "really comfortable", despite knowing manager Oliver Glasner will leave at the end of the season.
The 26-year-old signed from Wolves in a club record deal worth up to £48m just two weeks after Glasner confirmed his exit upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
"I think it's a bit deeper deeper than that," he said when asked about Glasner's impending exit.
"Obviously, I knew about the manager leaving, but we had a few chats now already since joining and I feel really comfortable being here with him.
"I feel like he's the man to take Palace this season on and finish on a good note, and is hopefully going to win the Conference League.
"I feel like I'm happy with that and and I know it's a bit of a situation to come into because there's a bit of uncertainty around who's going to come in in the summer.
"But, I think about myself and with the success from last year, and the players at the club, I feel like it was the perfect fit.
"It obviously will take a little bit of time for everyone to get to know me, but each game and each training session we're getting to know each other a little bit better, and with the tight game schedule now there will always be chances to win football games and score goals."
Sutton's predictions: Tottenham v Crystal Palacepublished at 08:25 GMT 5 March
08:25 GMT 5 March
Tottenham's home record is wretched - Wolves are the only top-flight team to have picked up fewer points than them on their own turf so far.
The atmosphere there has been toxic all season anyway, and we are into territory where, if Tudor loses this, things could get even worse.
I am not sure about Crystal Palace either, mind you. After a difficult few weeks, they actually looked good against Manchester United on Sunday but they will miss the suspended Maxence Lacroix here, who is important for them at the back.
It would be against the odds, but I am going to back Spurs here. Their last league win came against Palace, at the end of 2025 - maybe they will get their first league win of 2026 against the same opposition.
Gossip: Crystal Palace interested in Iraola and Frankpublished at 07:21 GMT 5 March
07:21 GMT 5 March
Crystal Palace and Tottenham are interested in manager Andoni Iraola, who is contemplating signing a new contract at Bournemouth.
Crystal Palace have added former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank to their list of potential managers to replace the departing Oliver Glasner. (Sun), external
Glasner on Lerma's fitness, replacing Lacroix and Johnson's Spurs returnpublished at 14:15 GMT 4 March
14:15 GMT 4 March
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Glasner confirmed Jefferson Lerma is back in the squad but not yet ready to start: "He trained with us and is OK. It's quite early, but if we need him for 15-20 minutes at the end we have him. Tottenham are very dangerous at set-pieces and Jeff is maybe our best player at defending them."
He added that Chadi Riad and veteran full-back Nathaniel Clyne are "the only two other options we have" to start in place of the suspended centre-back Maxence Lacroix and "one of them will start".
Reflecting on Lacroix's dismissal in Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Manchester United, Glasner said: "He is a big miss. We need other ones to step up and that's how we prepare. There are many people saying something on this situation but that's how the referee sees it and we must accept it. Even if most said it wasn't a foul and the referee shouldn't have even given a foul. But the game is over."
More on the loss: "We took many positives but we see what we can and have to improve. That's what we showed, the players and how we trained. I said it when we started in January with new players we have to know each other and every game the experience is helpful. Now we are starting the crunch time. We are not there right now but we are going step-by-step in the right direction."
On Jean-Phillipe Mateta's fitness: "We're planning for him to be partly integrated next Monday in the team training. It will be the same, starting from the bench. He was out for a long time, but his knee looks better now. We have to be careful, but the goal is that he is available for the Larnaca and Leeds games."
Eddie Nketiah "won't be available before April" but Palace are "pushing hard to have him back in the team".
Glasner was asked about January signing Brennan Johnson, who will return to his former side: "There are many positive sides but he hasn't found maybe the consistency in his performances. There are always highlights but he would like to score like any attacking player. I see his effort in training, he is a great player, he has all the skills that are needed, everything. We need to get his confidence back and then he will be a great player for Crystal Palace and for the rest of the season."
'The pressure and expectation will now inevitably fall on the less experienced'published at 09:27 GMT 4 March
09:27 GMT 4 March
Ellie Killick Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Could Spurs away be the perfect chance to pick up points, or have events at Manchester United ruined our chances?
In a game that saw Crystal Palace register 15 shots, Tottenham managed to snatch all three points thanks to a first-half strike last time the two sides met – which also happens to be the last game Spurs won.
I remember vividly leaving the stadium gobsmacked at how we'd left empty-handed after having not only racking up over a dozen efforts on goal, but also dominating possession.
Now, three months on, Tottenham sit 16th with just 29 points, winless in 10 and edging ever closer to the relegation zone.
While our form has continued to be shaky, wins against Wolves and more importantly Brighton have boosted us up out of danger – and on paper this looked like a fixture that could have nudged us further up the table.
However, coming off the back of a 2-1 loss to Manchester United is far from ideal. The result itself was perhaps to be expected with United's fine form of late, but Palace more than held their own in the first half, only to see the game slip away in the opening 10 minutes of the second.
An extremely harsh red card for Maxence Lacroix not only shifted momentum for that game, but now leaves us travelling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with just one senior centre-back in Chris Richards.
The pressure and expectation will now inevitably fall on the less experienced Jaydee Canvot and Chadi Riad. Both have impressed in spells, but sustained quality at this level is still yet to be proven.
So not only do we travel without a crucial player, but momentum also lacks for Palace.
With Tottenham having a point to prove in front of a home crowd and survival at stake it could be a tough outing for the Eagles.
But if we start like we did at Old Trafford and finish like we did in North London last time, perhaps there's still reason to believe…
VAR bitterness and defensive potentialpublished at 08:22 GMT 3 March
08:22 GMT 3 March
Alex Pewter Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It would be tempting to devote the entire week to refereeing decisions and VAR in the Premier League. In the past months, it has been unclear what constitutes a handball under modern rules week to week, what is a foul in the box compared with the rest of the pitch, or, in Crystal Palace's case this week, the threshold for a goalscoring opportunity worthy of a red card.
Needless to say, there is a level of bitterness towards the decision-making at Old Trafford on Sunday, but alas, Oliver Glasner's team is now left without Maxence Lacroix for Thursday's encounter with Tottenham Hotspur, making Chris Richards the lone senior centre-back available.
There was a level of risk in selling Marc Guehi in January without an experienced replacement, even for the remainder of the season on loan. However, that situation has forced the team to use both Jaydee Canvot and the returning Chadi Riad in high-pressure games.
With both players gaining minutes for the remainder of this campaign, they would have otherwise lacked, it will allow the club to assess their potential to be in a starting role for the 2026-27 season. Both players have already amassed over 300 minutes in the six weeks since Guehi left the club.
As football prices have inflated over the past four or five years, the cost of Guehi in 2021 is similar to that of Canvot in 2025, meaning Palace are signing a player with far less senior experience. Guehi arrived with over 5,000 minutes at Swansea City, compared to Canvot's 1,300 minutes for Toulouse, which comes with growing pains.
The French youngster has excelled with his ground tackling and willingness to deal with physicality in that area, but has struggled aerially – understandable for a player thrown into Europe's toughest league as a teenager.
For now, fans will need to be patient if the dividends will be further down the road.
'Lacroix should let Cunha go'published at 16:04 GMT 2 March
16:04 GMT 2 March
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United's penalty and consequent Crystal Palace red card for Maxence Lacroix in Sunday's fixture at Old Trafford formed part of the debate on the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
Ex-Premier League striker Clinton Morrison said: "Lacroix, when he looks at it, should just let him go. I can understand why the penalty is given. My take on it is, the ball is getting away from Cunha and Henderson is closer. It should be a penalty, but a red card?
"If, as a striker, I am not getting to the ball, I am going to go down. I'm getting a penalty and Lacroix sent off. I've been in situations and instantly you just react and pull on the shirt."
Duncan: Unconvincing and strangely lacklustre, but still got the job done. It's not an easy run-in, so we shouldn't take Champions League for granted. The whole coaching team clearly suits the players, and we should keep them next season.
Gordon: A times flat and lacked creativity in first half - very predictable. The penalty was the major change and a good second goal but again didn't kick on and finish the game. Three points but room for considerable improvement
Patrick: This the United I've been waiting to see since Sir Alex's retirement. We're playing as a team, refusing to give up, even when down, confident, and have quality throughout the team. Cunha, Mbeumo, and Sesko have made a huge difference, and Maguire is finally, the talismanic defender we hope he would be. Fergie would be proud to manage this team. We remain a work in progress, my optimism feels apt at this point. As to the Glazers and Ratcliffe, carbuncles that need lancing. Our debt burden is worrying.
Mattie: There's only one Michael Carrick!
Crystal Palace fans
Ron: What a footballing disgrace. This referee has already proved he's not up to it. Never a penalty and never a red card. Palace played well and deserved a draw. Whoever goes to Old Trafford seems to play against twelve men. Canvot had another good game and is improving all the time. Strand Larsen and Johnson again were very disappointing. They need to find the right space to receive the ball which is badly lacking. It makes you wonder what they do in training.
James: This felt as if palace were 0-1 up when it was 11 vs 11, but 2-0 down when it was our ten vs eleven. Given a week ago we didn't look to be able to beat a wolves 11, this feels an improvement especially in how fluid we were with 11, the next challenge is remain with 11, and then we can look up the table and progress further in the conference.
Adrian: Better rhythm and confidence. We possibly play better against the stronger sides, rather than those who play a low block. It probably was a penalty despite starting outside the box and the guy throwing himself to the floor. But the red card was a clear and obvious error and should be overturned on appeal.
Mike: Very poor refereeing decision cost us today. Not even a foul, let alone a penalty or a red card. Any where else on the pitch that goes unnoticed.
The penalty controversy published at 11:04 GMT 2 March
11:04 GMT 2 March
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Oliver Glasner was left frustrated at how Crystal Palace had twice led Manchester United at half-time this season and ended up with nothing on both occasions.
To him, this one hinged on the moment 11 minutes into the second half when Palace goalscorer Maxence Lacroix made a grab for Matheus Cunha. The initial contact was certainly outside the box, but continued into it and the United forward flung himself to the floor.
Referee Chris Kavanagh gave the penalty and, after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, sent Frenchman Lacroix off.
Glasner described it as the 'Old Trafford bounce'.
"It's a very hard decision because the foul started outside the box and usually the foul has to be given where it starts," he said.
"On the other side, Matheus Cunha was very smart to wait until he's inside the box to fall.
"Maybe he could have conceded the red card with the foul outside the box, this is what you can discuss, but it's where the foul starts. Maybe it was the Old Trafford bounce."
While Glasner felt it was a 'home' decision, vastly experienced former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann said the ruling was right.
"Kavanagh took his time and used all his experience to rightly ascertain that contact continued inside the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick," he added.
"The red-card sanction was also the correct outcome. The law states 'where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity, and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender must be sent off if the offence is for holding or pulling'."
Gossip: Palace to resist any moves for Hendersonpublished at 07:03 GMT 2 March
07:03 GMT 2 March
Crystal Palace will block any approaches from Tottenham and other clubs for goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has been a crucial part of the success under Oliver Glasner. (Football Insider), external
Man Utd 2-1 Crystal Palace: What Glasner saidpublished at 17:11 GMT 1 March
17:11 GMT 1 March
Media caption,
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It is decisive when you are 1-0 up and then concede a penalty and then have one player less. The foul was outside the box and the foul should be given where it starts, not where it ends. Matheus Cunha was very clever. We tried everything to get the equaliser and we were in good situations four or five times."
On tiredness in his squad: "I think we played three days ago and that impacts the game when you are one player down and the crowd gets back into the game and 1-1."
On Ismaila Sarr's miss: "A problem in the last weeks is that we are playing good parts in games but not consistently over 90 minutes. We always have to make changes to our back three since Marc [Guehi] left. There is no consistency in the back three."
On better performances: "Absolutely. The performances were not that bad. We're not that efficient and that ruthless in attack. The way the team is fighting, even here under difficult circumstances, gives me faith until the end of the season."
Did you know?
Only West Ham (20) have lost more points from winning positions in the Premier League this season than Crystal Palace (19), with this the Eagles' second-most in a single campaign in the competition (23 in 2023-24).
Maxence Lacroix has scored two goals in his last two games, as many as he managed in his first 81 appearances for Crystal Palace in all competitions. Both of his Premier League goals have come against Manchester clubs – Man City in December 2024, and Man Utd in March 2026.
Lacroix became only the second visiting player to be score and be sent off in a Premier League game at Old Trafford, after Liverpool's Michael Owen in April 1998. Lacroix was just the fourth player to do so home and away for the Eagles in the competition, and first since Christian Benteke against West Ham in December 2020.
Man Utd v Crystal Palace: Team newspublished at 13:03 GMT 1 March
13:03 GMT 1 March
Michael Carrick hands a starting spot to Benjamin Sesko following the Slovenian's match winner at Everton on Monday.
Amad Diallo drops to the bench in the only change to Carrick's entire squad as United look for a victory that would take them into third spot for the first time since the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Manchester United XI: Lammens, Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha, Sesko.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Brighton v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Chelsea", for instance.
Image source, Getty Images
