Many thanks to Declan Mulcahy for this report.

Sunday 6 October 2024, 4:30pm
Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion (0) 3 Tottenham Hotspur (2) 2

Brighton scorers:-
Minteh, 48
Rutter, 58
Welbeck, 66

Spurs scorers:-
Johnson, 23
Maddison, 37

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Fabian Hurzeler
1 B Verbruggen; 34 J Veltman. 4 A Webster (3 Igor Julio 9), 5 L Dunk (c), 24 F. Kadıoglu (30 P Estupinan 45); 20 C Baleba (27 M Wieffer 74), 41 J Hinshelwood; 17 Y Minteh (8 B Gruda 87), 14 G. Rutter (10 J Enciso 73), 22 K Mitoma; 18 D Welbeck

Subs not used: 23 J Steele, 2 T Lamptey, 26 Y Ayari, 28 E. Ferguson

Booked: Igor Julio (34 foul on Kulusevski), Verbruggen (80 time wasting)

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3):
1 G. Vicario; 23 Pedro Porro, 17 C. Romero (c), 37 M van de Ven, 13 D Udogie 67; 21 D Kulusevski, 30 R. Bentancur (8 Y Bissouma 79), 10 J Maddison (47 M Moore 85); 22 B Johnson, 19 D Solanke, 16 T Werner (29 P Sarr 79)

Subs not used: 20 F Forster, 24 D Spence, 6 R Dragusin, 14 A Gray, 15 L Bergvall, 42 W Lankshear

Booked: Udogie (67 foul on Minteh)), Kulusevski (69 foul on Mitoma)

American Express Stadium, Attendance: 31,487

Referee:- David Coote
Assistants:- Timothy Wood, Craig Taylor
Fourth official:- Andy Madley
VAR:- Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR:- Adam Nunn.

Brighton comeback to win after trailing 2-0 at the interval

Thanks to Cassim Patel for the picture. There were fireworks before and during the game!

Spurs came into this game on a run of good form having won five consecutive games, two in the Premier League and three cup games. Brighton had a less than impressive performance at Stamford Bridge last weekend conceding four goals to Cole Palmer in the first half. They hadn't won any of their last four league matches.

Recent form suggested that this was an opportunity for Spurs. A win here would lift them into the group challenging for Champions League places. The first half gave grounds for optimism. Spurs dominated the half and went in two goals ahead.

The second half was another story. Spurs conceded within three minutes and a display of defensive ineptitude meant that Brighton had secured the points midway through the half. With 10 points from seven league matches Spurs are firmly anchored in mid-table. It is the lowest return since the 2008-09 season though much better than the disastrous start that season.

Postecoglou started with the same team which performed outstandingly at Old Trafford last weekend. Four of the eleven had also started against Ferencvaros, Vicario, Pedro Porro, Romero and Werner, so tiredness today should not have been a major factor.

After the poor showing against Chelsea last weekend Fabian Hurtzeler switched from a (4-3-3) formation to (4-2-3-1) one with Veltman and Minteh replacing Estupinan and Wieffler.

These two teams probably apply the highest press in the Premier League so goals were expected.

Spurs made a very good start to the game. In the opening minute Werner made a break down the left and directed a good cross towards the Brighton goal. Johnson on the opposite wing moved inwards but couldn't connect with the ball. Kulusevski had the next opportunity in the box but his shot was deflected over. Then Romero launched a high ball over the Brighton defenders to Maddison in the box. He delayed a little too long and his shot was blocked.

After only six minutes Webster made a forward run but damaged his hamstring and had to be replaced after treatment by Igor Julio.

An overhead lob by Porro similar to Romero's effort narrowly failed to find Maddison.

Spurs were totally dominating the game at this point. Johnson crossed the ball and Werner headed goalward. Baleba attempted to clear the ball but it hit Maddison and rolled towards the goal line. The goal-line technology confirmed that the ball had crossed the line. However after a review by VAR the goal was disallowed because of an earlier offside by Pedro Porro.

Brighton launched an immediate counter-attack but the ball was turned over near the half way line. Maddison fed Solanke. He set up Johnson coming in from the right who steered the ball home. It was the sixth consecutive game he had scored in and the first time it had happened since Harry Kane did so during December 2018 and January 2019.

A piece of pantomime followed. Maddison went down in the Brighton box under contact from Veltman. The latter thought he had gone down too easily and remonstrated with him. Madison now standing laid a gentle hand on him. Veltman fell to the ground as though poleaxed. The referee came over and had a word with both players and no action was taken.

Brighton now came into the game. Mitoma crossed from the left behind the Spurs defenders. It fell to Welbeck who was clear and was the best chance of the game, but he steered the ball wide. The next cross from Mitoma was to Minteh but his effort was deflected for a corner. His third cross found Hinshelwood but his header was off target. These efforts showed that Brighton could still influence the match.

A fine pass from Solanke set Werner off on a run. He passed the ball to Maddison in the box. The latter shot towards the right post. Verbruggen dived towards the ball. He got a hand on it but couldn't keep it out. He should have done better.

Before the interval Johnson ran clear on the right. He found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen but his effort was over the bar. It was a clearer opportunity than the one that Maddison had scored from minutes earlier.

The only change at the interval was Estupinan replacing Kadioglu who had been under pressure during the first half especially from Johnson.

Within minutes Brighton were back in the game. Mitoma provided a good cross from the left. Udogie reached the ball first but was facing his goal and could have scored an own goal. In trying not to deflect the ball in, he allowed it to run to Minteh who scored at the right post - his first Premier League goal. Van de Ven could have done better before the ball reached Udogie.

The initiative was now with Brighton.

Ten minutes later Mitoma, that man again, set Rutter up with a through ball in the centre of the box. It was far from a clear-cut chance as van de Ven and Udogie faced him but he succeeded in rounding both before scoring with a shot.

Given Brighton's dominance at this point it seemed inevitable that they would win. Rutter crossed from the right towards Welbeck. There were Spurs defenders in the box but Welbeck was allowed a free header and duly scored. Udogie and Bentancur before the cross and Romero after it share the blame for this goal. In the first quarter of the second half Brighton had turned the game around from 0-2 to 3-2 accompanied by some wretched defending from Spurs.

The final quarter didn't produce much from Spurs perspective. Udogie and Kulusevski were booked. Postecoglou made his first substitutions after 79 minutes. Surely a case of closing the stable door long after the horses had bolted. Verbruggen the Brighton goalkeeper was booked for time-wasting. Spurs best opportunity fell to Udogie in the box. His shot produced a diving save from Verbruggen. Sarr sent in a good cross in the final minutes but Solanke couldn't reach it.

Brighton had a counter-attack towards the end. Kulusevski attempted to tug back a Brighton player. Luckily he failed to make contact. Had he done so it would have been a certain second yellow card and a sending off which would have made a bad day even worse.

In his post-match conference Postecoglou mounted a strange defence for his lack of earlier substitutions. When the point was raised he responded "Substitutions and all those kind of things ... they are totally irrelevant to me. If you're not competitive, it doesn't matter what you do, you're not going to get rewards."

Spurs have won and lost three games each in the Premier League so far. All of the wins have been against teams currently below them and the defeats against teams above them who will be likely challenge for Champions League places. Spurs need to achieve greater consistency in the Premier League.

They have made a very good start in the Europa League and could go far. However as Manchester United have shown if you aspire to do well at the top in England you are measured by how you perform in the Premier League and the Champions League. Any other trophies are merely consolation prizes.

Spurs need to be seen to be realistic contenders for the top four positions in the Premier League this season. Otherwise it may be difficult to retain the better players at the end of the season, contracts notwithstanding.

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