Premier League: Brighton fight back to stun Spurs

Brighton & Hove Albion 3 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Brighton staged a stunning comeback, overturning a two-goal deficit to secure a thrilling victory over Tottenham in a gripping Premier League clash on the south coast.

Spurs appeared to be cruising towards a sixth consecutive win in all competitions, having taken a well-earned 2-0 lead by the 37th minute. Brennan Johnson broke the deadlock with his sixth goal in six games, timing his run perfectly to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s through ball before calmly slotting it past Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.

Verbruggen was then left frustrated as he failed to prevent James Maddison’s curled effort from nestling in the net, despite getting both hands to the low shot, doubling Spurs’ advantage.

However, Brighton came out after the interval looking like a different team. They quickly clawed one back early in the second half when Destiny Udogie struggled to clear Kaoru Mitoma's cross, allowing Yankuba Minteh to pounce and score his first goal for the Seagulls following his £30m transfer from Newcastle.

Mitoma was instrumental again as Brighton drew level in the 58th minute, setting up Georginio Rutter, who cleverly manoeuvred away from Micky van de Ven before slotting a low shot past Guglielmo Vicario.

Rutter’s persistence then paid off as he managed to keep the ball in play near the byline and deliver a cross, which Danny Welbeck headed downwards to score the decisive goal, completing Brighton’s stunning turnaround.

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A closer look at what happened

Our friends at GMCR Football were also there and posted this on their Flickr account. 

Tottenham started brilliantly and almost scored within the first minute when Timo Werner broke free down the left. However, his cross for Johnson was overhit, squandering a golden opportunity.

A goal seemed inevitable, with only a crucial block from Adam Webster – who later limped off with a hamstring injury – preventing James Maddison from opening the scoring.

Spurs thought they had taken the lead when the ball bounced off Maddison and crossed the line, but a tight VAR decision ruled out the goal, as Pedro Porro was judged to have been offside earlier in the build-up.

Brighton’s relief was short-lived, though, as they lost possession just seconds later. Dominic Solanke, who was recently called up to the England squad for the first time in seven years, threaded a perfectly weighted pass through to Johnson, who clinically dispatched a first-time shot past Verbruggen.

Danny Welbeck had a decent chance to pull Brighton level from a central position, but his shot rolled just wide of the post. Tottenham then doubled their lead, leaving the match seemingly out of reach.

Brighton staged a remarkable comeback, securing a memorable victory after overturning a two-goal deficit at half-time – something they hadn’t achieved since December 2015, when they beat Charlton Athletic 3-2 in the Championship.

As for Spurs, this marked their 10th Premier League defeat after leading by two or more goals. Typical Spurs, some might say. 

The fightback began three minutes into the second half, when Udogie’s failed clearance allowed Minteh to net Brighton’s first goal, sparking belief among the passionate home crowd that a win was within reach.

Lewis Dunk’s deflected cross had to be tipped over the bar, and Mitoma’s low shot forced a save from Vicario before Rutter grabbed his second goal in as many games to bring Brighton level.

The French midfielder, a £40m summer signing from Leeds, did brilliantly to keep the ball in play and showed great persistence, delivering an excellent cross for Welbeck to head home the winner, sealing a well-earned comeback for Fabian Hurzeler’s side.