Brighton v Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Spurs comeback falls short
Brighton 4-2 Tottenham: The Seagulls hung on after racing 4-0 ahead in a thrilling post-Christmas cracker
Tottenham Hotspur’s top-four ambitions suffered a blow as they lost 4-2 at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League with only a late rally saving them from their heaviest defeat since Ange Postecoglou became manager.
Victory would have put injury-hit Spurs above Manchester City into fourth spot but they were mauled on the south coast as a Brighton side also missing key players ran riot.
A powerful early strike by Jack Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro’s penalty gave the hosts a deserved 2-0 lead at half-time as Tottenham struggled to deal with Brighton’s intensity. The visitors responded in the second half with Richarlison having a goal disallowed but when half-time substitute Pervis Estupinan sent a thunderbolt past Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario and Pedro netted a second penalty the game seemed over.
However, when Tottenham’s late substitute Alejo Veliz fired home from close range in the 75th minute and Ben Davies scored with a header a miraculous comeback suddenly looked possible. Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hit the post for Spurs in stoppage time as Brighton looked nervy but they held on to move into eighth place in the table while Tottenham remain fifth.
Relive all the action below:
SAVE! Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
45 mins: Vicario to the rescue again after incredibly sloppy play from Tottenham! A backpass is between defender and goalkeeper, allowing Pedro to nip in and race through one on one.
He goes slightly wide on the left maybe and his attempted dinked finish over Vicario is tipped wide by an outstretched mitt from the goalkeeper. Inches higher and it’s in but brilliant stop!
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
43 mins: Bit of a needles booking for Facundo Buonanotte who is yellow carded for too much backchat to the referee while questioning a free-kick against Brighton near halfway. Probably didn’t warrant the amount of arguing Buonanotte was doing, given how harmless it was.
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
42 mins: Brighton have been sumptuous in this first half. Spurs haven’t been bad, per se, but the Seagulls have cut through them with ease. Tottenham look better in attack and as long as it stays 2-0, they’ll fancy getting back into this. A third goal would be an absolute killer, of course.
As if to prove it, Joao Pedro gets five yards clear of Spurs’ high line and although Royal scrambles back, it shows the danger posed. Flag does then go off and he was marginally offside
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
39 mins: Better from Spurs as they come down the left with Kulusevski. Son receives the ball int he box but can’t get it out of his feet, the blue-and-white shirts swarm and his shot is blocked.
NO GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
37 mins: Brighton have the ball in the net AGAIN! This time, the offside flag comes to Tottenham’s aid.
Welbeck curls in a cross and Buonanotte sublimely finishes past Vicario first time from the penalty spot. Such a controlled half-volley but he was in front of the final defender when the ball was played.
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
35 mins: Brighton counter again and Welbeck strides forward down the right. He plays a ball across towards Buonanotte but it comes off Emerson Royal’s heel and Vicario collects. Appeals for a backpass from the crowd but it was accidental - not sure Royal could have flicked the ball over his head like that even if he tried!
WATCH: Brighton’s two first-half goals
Here’s how Brighton moved 2-0 up in this clash with goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro - the latter a penalty.
POST! Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
32 mins: Now James Milner absolutely hammers the post! Brighton are purring here.
The ball falls to him near the edge of the box as he comes in off the left wing, he wraps his right foot round it, starting ti just outside the goal and it’s curling inwards but not quite enough as it rattles the post with Vicario beaten. So close!
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
30 mins: Kulusevski will miss Spurs’ next game against Bournemouth due to that yellow card for giving away the penalty, by the way. More first-team players unavailable is not what Ange Postecoglou needs...
Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
27 mins: How can Spurs turn this round? Brighton do still look fairly open at the back, so it’s not all over yet.
Porro whips in a Tottenham corner and although it’s cleared by Igor, Johnson gets room on the right and flashes a low ball across goal. It’s past the diving Steele and wide of the far post but if a Spurs player had been sliding in, that could have been turned in at the back post.
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