Tottenham vs Brighton result: Christian Eriksen’s last-gasp winner secures three vital points in top-four race

Tottenham 1-0 Brighton: The Dane's divine intervention ensured Tottenham kept a firm grip on the Champions League places

Tottenham would have spent the Bank Holiday weekend becoming increasingly encouraged by the results around them in the top-four fight, as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all dropped points one after another.

Yet, on Tuesday night, it looked for all the world as if Mauricio Pochettino’s side were going to follow suit and suffer a costly slip-up of their own.

With just two minutes of normal time remaining, Brighton were heading for their second successive stalemate, following their draw at Wolves on Saturday.

The Seagulls had had just 22 per cent of the possession and faced 28 shots, surviving each time thanks to heroic defending and goalkeeping.

Yet Christian Eriksen ended the resistance and ensured Spurs triumphed for the fourth time in a row at their new stadium, firing into the bottom right corner in the 88th minute to break Brighton hearts.

Pochettino thrust virtually all of his available creative talents and goalscorers into his starting line-up.

Victor Wanyama was left to protect the defence by himself as Dele Alli was deployed in an attacking midfield quartet alongside Eriksen, Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son, behind striker Fernando Llorente.

For his part, Brighton manager Chris Hughton – a former Spurs player - freshened up his team with six changes, and he was rewarded with a brave rearguard action in the first half.

Spurs started brightly enough, with Jan Vertonghen heading over the bar and Alli narrowly failed to get a touch as an effort from Eriksen flew past him.

Dunk was spectacular in defence (Getty) (Getty Images)

But, with Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy in the centre of their defence, Brighton were perfectly happy to defend the aerial crosses aimed towards Llorente, while they threw themselves in front of a succession of shots.

When the ball fell to Vertonghen in a crowded box, his effort was halted in front of goalkeeper Mat Ryan. Soon after it seemed Son had caught Brighton off-guard with a quickly-taken free kick to Lucas, but Bernardo got back into position to deny him.

Then, when Spurs’ Brazilian wide man tried to find Alli with a low pass to the back post, Dunk made a crucial interception, sliding in and diverting the ball to safety.

With both full-backs joining in with the attacks, Tottenham were leaving themselves light at the back, and they were nearly punished.

One blocked shot in Brighton’s box left Florin Andone running at Spurs’ centre-backs, and it took a sliding tackle from Danny Rose to stop him getting a shot off in Tottenham’s penalty area. When Rose immediately gave the ball away, Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s low cross was just too far in front of the sliding Andone.

Eriksen celebrates scoring the late winner (Getty)

Spurs finished the half on top though and very nearly found a breakthrough seconds before the interval as Alli brought the ball down and shot goalwards, only to be denied by a combination of Ryan and Duffy.

Duffy gave Spurs another scare at the start of the second period, finding himself free in the box and sending a header at Lloris.

Conversely, Tottenham struggled to create a similarly clear opening until after the hour-mark. Wanyama and Son both tried their luck from outside the box but Ryan was happy to watch as their attempts missed the target.

The Australian had to be alert as Rose sent a venomous 25-yard effort goalwards, but he was equal to the test. And when he was beaten by Toby Alderweireld’s low effort on the turn, he was rescued by the woodwork.

It seemed Spurs had run out of luck and ideas. But Eriksen had the final word with his low strike and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted as the hosts moved four points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal in the fight for Champions League qualification.