6 October 2024
Brighton 3 Tottenham 2
The Seagulls entertained Tottenham at the Amex Stadium with Ange Postecoglou’s side coming into this game off the back of a mauling of Man Utd at Old Trafford. Both sides had been in decent form this season but if Spurs were going to make a mark on the Premier League table this campaign, they needed to show some consistency. That meant taking all three points on the south coast.
Postecoglou named an unchanged side with skipper Son still missing from the matchday squad. Scoring goals did not seem a problem against the Red Devils last weekend but not everybody’s defence is as woeful as Erik ten Hag’s outfit. Tottenham started strong and could have opened the scoring with their first attack of the game.
Werner used his pace down the left to get free of his marker with Johnson screaming for the ball on the back post. The German’s cross was severely lacking as it was a good two yards in front of the Welshman. Had it been better, the visitors were sure to take the lead. An early let off for Fabian Hurzeler’s side in front of their own fans.
Tottenham started the game much like they did at Old Trafford. Throwing caution to the wind and putting their opponents under severe pressure. Kulusevski was the next player to spurn a great chance as he shanked his shot over the crossbar. This is the one criticism of Spurs, they are not clinical enough in front of goal.
The visitors thought they had finally taken the lead when Johnson played Porro in down the right. His cross found Werner at the back post, whose header was clawed back by Verbruggen from behind the line as the referee awarded the goal. Celebrations were short-lived as the assistant then raised his flag for offside. After review, it was decided that the Spurs full back was in an offside position when the pass was made.
Moments later, Solanke played a perfectly weighted pass in behind the defence for Johnson to run onto. Such is the confidence of the attacker currently, he slotted it past the Brighton keeper to give the visitors the lead. His form has meant that Postecoglou’s side have not missed the absence of Son as the goals keep flowing.
The Seagulls managed to carve out their first chance of the game as Mitoma played a sublime cross into the box with the outside of his boot. He found Welbeck completely free in the middle of the goal. Sadly for the hosts, he got his shot all wrong as he got the slightest of touches and sent it well wide of the target.
Spurs made them pay for that miss as they went on the offensive straight away. Werner picked out Maddison on the edge of the box, who drilled his shot past Verbruggen to double the visitors’ lead. Questions will be asked of the Brighton keeper as the shot seemed to go straight through him and into the back of the net.
Despite being two goals down, Hurzeler’s side were still getting chances of their own. Once again Welbeck found space in the box but his glancing header narrowly missed the far post. The home fans were beginning to wonder whether this was going to be one of those days. It was end to end stuff at the Amex Stadium but only one side were capitalising on their glimpses of goal.
Just before the interval Kulusevski put Johnson through once again. Postecoglou stood with his head in his hands as the Welshman sent his shot sailing over the crossbar. Spurs were finding it all too easy to open up the Brighton defence and they looked like scoring every time they came forward. The omens were not looking good for The Seagulls.
After the break, Brighton seemed to step it up a gear. Mitoma’s cross from left found Minteh at the back post. The winger stroked the ball home to get his first goal for the club. That said, he owed a lot to Udogie for it, the Tottenham defender made a real mess of trying to clear the ball which created the opportunity for the hosts.
Mitoma was becoming a real thorn in the side of Tottenham. His trickery saw him play the ball into Rutter, who held off the challenge of the defender before drilling the ball into the bottom corner. The Amex Stadium was rocking as The Seagulls had cancelled out the visitors’ lead in just thirteen second-half minutes on the south coast.
By this stage of the game, Brighton were all over Tottenham. Postecoglou’s side were making Mitoma look like Messi, which is ironic as that also described the Londoner’s defending too. Rutter bundled his way through the visitors’ defence and slid in to cross from the byline. An unmarked Welbeck headed home to turn this game on its head. Classic Spurs.
Udogie had a late chance to try and get something out of this game for Tottenham. His shot was struck with some venom but Verbruggen got down to make a good stop and collected the ball at the second time of asking. The Seagulls held on to claim all three points, while Ange Postecoglou looked like he needed a stiff drink.
Brighton moved up to sixth in the table and leapfrogged the North London outfit in the process. It was a game of two halves and Tottenham paid the price for not taking their chances when they were in the ascendency. This is the sort of inconsistency that has plagued them for years and it is their Australian manager’s job to try and rectify this weakness.
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