Soldado hands Tottenham victory

Crystal Palace's Mile Jedinak (R) vies with Tottenham Hotspur's Roberto Soldado (L) during their English Premier League football match at Selhurst Park in London. (AFP/GLYN KIRK)

LONDON: New signing Roberto Soldado proved there is life without Gareth Bale by giving Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at promoted Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener on Sunday.

Bale, strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, was absent with a foot injury, but a 50th-minute penalty from 26-million-pound ($40.4 million, 30.4 million euros) club record signing Soldado meant Spurs did not miss him.

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas gave league debuts to Soldado, Paulinho and Nacer Chadli, and his side largely controlled the first half beneath bright summer sunshine at Selhurst Park.

Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni had to tip a dipping Gylfi Sigurdsson shot over the bar and then thwart Soldado at his near post, while Chadli headed over from a deep Aaron Lennon cross in first-half stoppage time.

The breakthrough arrived five minutes into the second half, with Soldado adroitly sending Speroni the wrong way from 12 yards after Dean Moxey blocked Lennon's cross with a flailing hand.

Another of Spurs' new recruits, French midfielder Etienne Capoue, made his entrance as a 57th-minute substitute.

Palace manager Ian Holloway threw on Jonathan Williams, new signing Marouane Chamakh and veteran striker Kevin Phillips, but Hugo Lloris saved from Damien Delaney and Kagisho Dikgacoi and the visitors survived.

"It's very important to open with a win. Ian Holloway really puts his team together very well. They were very narrow and there was some unpredictability," said Villas-Boas.

"We should have put the game to bed, but I'm generally very pleased to come to a difficult ground and get the three points."