Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
The 2022/23 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 10. And the action on Saturday will end at the Amex Stadium, where Brighton & Hove Albion will play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur, with both teams looking to return to winning ways.
Brighton & Hove Albion have continued their upward trajectory in the 2022/23 season. And Graham Potter’s departure has not hampered the Seagulls either, as they showed in their 3-3 draw with Liverpool last weekend. So Brighton should ideally benefit from Roberto De Zerbi’s attack-minded approach to games.
On the other hand, Tottenham’s momentum early in the season seems to have sapped completely. Spurs have failed to win three of their last four games, with the only victory coming in the 6-2 mauling of Leicester City. Antonio Conte has been furious about the recent results, especially after a listless showing versus Eintracht Frankfurt.
The corresponding fixture last season coincided with Spurs’ late-season ascent. And Brighton suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, with Cristian Romero and Harry Kane finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
"Moises Caicedo didn't work with the team yesterday but we will look again today at the situation.
"I don't think there will be a problem." #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/qkj5ZgyJIR
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) October 7, 2022
Roberto De Zerbi has greeted positive updates on the team news front over the week. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will likely be without only one first-team player against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Jakub Moder is a long-term absentee for Brighton due to a knee injury that will force him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But the good news is that Enock Mwepu (illness) and Moises Caicedo (knock) should be fit enough to feature against Tottenham after encountering issues in the past week.
Caicedo will be one of the first names on the team sheet for De Zerbi, with Alexis Mac Allister likely to be his midfield partner. The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park, keeping the ball away from Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Richarlison.
Robert Sanchez picks himself between the sticks for Brighton, who will mirror Tottenham’s 3-4-3 formation on Saturday. And De Zerbi might not tinker with last week’s central defensive unit. So Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, and Adam Webster should feature at the back for Brighton.
Solly March was top-notch as the right wing-back and should reprise that role again on Saturday. Pervis Estupinan should feature on the left flank. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton attack against Tottenham, with Leandro Trossard and Pascal Gross starting alongside him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Estupinan; Gross, Welbeck, Trossard
Tottenham Hotspur
Unlike his counterpart in the Brighton & Hove Albion dugout, Antonio Conte has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. On Saturday, the Tottenham Hotspur boss will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Emerson Royal is the latest absentee for Tottenham after his dismissal against Arsenal in the North London Derby. The Brazilian defender has joined Japhet Tanganga (unspecified), Lucas Moura (calf), and Dejan Kulusevski (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Brighton (A) 🔜
📈 @HSBC_Sport pic.twitter.com/k8NTA6LKbC
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 7, 2022
Ivan Perisic might feature as the right wing-back for Tottenham in Emerson’s absence, despite Matt Doherty and Djed Spence’s presence in the squad. That means Ryan Sessegnon picks himself on the left flank.
Perisic will essentially play as an auxiliary right-winger, allowing Richarlison to veer infield from the flank. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are automatic picks, despite the latter’s substandard form this season. Kane will spearhead the Tottenham attack against Brighton, with Richarlison and Son flanking him.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur have forged a solid midfield pairing and should continue in the middle of the park. So Yves Bissouma misses out again. Finally, Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet will form the central defensive partnership, with Hugo Lloris starting in goal.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Perisic, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon; Richarlison, Kane, Son
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won two of their last three Premier League matches against Tottenham Hotspur (L1), one more than in their first seven games against them in the competition combined (W1 D1 L5).
- After a run of four consecutive home defeats in the Premier League in February and March, Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in their last seven outings at the Amex Stadium (W4 D3). They are looking to win three consecutive home league games for the first time since November 2019, a run that included a 3-0 win over Tottenham.
- Only Everton (7) have conceded fewer Premier League goals than Brighton (8) this season. And only Manchester City (5.6) and Arsenal (6.9) have a lower xGA total than the Seagulls (7.9).
- Tottenham have faced 127 shots in their eight Premier League games so far this season – their average of 15.9 shots faced per game is their highest on record in a single campaign (since 2003/04).
- Harry Kane became the first-ever player to score 100 away goals in the Premier League in their defeat against Arsenal last weekend. Kane has found the back of the net five times in his most recent seven Premier League games against Brighton, including three in four at the Amex Stadium.
Player to Watch
Richarlison
Harry Kane always has the spotlight on him when Tottenham Hotspur take the field in a game. But while Kane will again be a pivotal figure for Spurs, Richarlison is our player to watch against Brighton as he needs to start delivering the goods consistently.
Richarlison repeatedly shows that he has what it takes to influence the proceedings more often than not when he represents Brazil. But the former Everton attacker is yet to get into his groove at Tottenham. However, with Brighton & Hove Albion still finding their feet under Roberto De Zerbi, Richarlison has the perfect opportunity to strike while the iron is hot.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur will be gunning to stem the recent run of sub-par results, with Antonio Conte livid about their performances. But Spurs are facing nearly 16 shots per Premier League game this season, so Brighton & Hove Albion might fancy their chances on Saturday.
Leandro Trossard will be buoyant after a stunning performance against Liverpool. But Harry Kane and Richarlison will likely stamp their authority in the final third. So the two teams might end up even at the full-time whistle, thus adding to Conte’s frustrations. The Hard Tackle predicts Brighton and Tottenham to play out a 2-2 draw.
