Holdt hat-trick powers Spurs to 7-0 rout of ten-player Crystal Palace

Holdt ignites Spurs on way to rout

Olivia Holdt marked her first start of the season by scoring a hat-trick as Spurs turned a dominant but goalless first half into a 7-0 win at Crystal Palace.

Palace's task was made harder when Fuka Tsunoda was sent off in the seventh minute following a reckless challenge on Cathinka Tandberg, but Spurs initially struggled to break down a side defending deep with a player fewer.

"When they got the red card, I was thinking this could actually be tougher for us," Holdt said.

At half-time the Spurs manager, Martin Ho, asked his players to get more bodies into the box, and the instruction paid off handsomely. Holdt had completed her hat-trick by the 73rd minute as Spurs finally found the ruthlessness that had been missing in the first half.

The rout lifted Spurs to second in the table on seven points from three games, with their goal difference of +9 now the best in the division.