Tottenham will look to build on the stunning victory at Old Trafford when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler will want a big response from his side following the dreadful performance away at Chelsea last weekend when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Amex Stadium this weekend. The 31-year-old will want his players to cut out the errors, as the game at Stamford Bridge saw them make too many mistakes, with at least three goals coming off them.
Brighton conceded four times at Stamford Bridge despite taking the lead through Georginio Rutter, as Cole Palmer scored four times for Chelsea. That loss was also their first of the season in all competitions, having gone the entire early period unbeaten.
The Seagulls will want to respond against Tottenham, as they will want to repeat their performance in the corresponding fixture last season. However, they are tasked with hosting Spurs, who are coming into this clash after a terrific victory at Old Trafford that has appeared to galvanise their season.
Sticking with the Old Trafford result, Tottenham were a bit fortunate because of Bruno Fernandes’s red card before the break, as they managed to assert their dominance. The bigger argument is that they were still the better team on the pitch when Manchester United had eleven men, and their one-goal advantage justifies their claim.
A terrific run from Micky van de Ven to square off the ball for Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Spurs, while Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke added to the tally and rounded up the win. Overall, the win seems to have added a boost to Ange Postecoglou’s side, as they are not eager to get on with things positively.
Brighton away is obviously a heavy test for Postecoglou, as he will want a superb performance against a side that also likes to play on the ball and the front foot. Hence, this has the hallmarks of an entertaining encounter with the promise of plenty of goals.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler delivered mixed news ahead of the Tottenham game, as some Brighton players are coming back from fitness troubles. Brajan Gruda, Joel Veltman, James Milner, and long-term absentee Solly March are in contention for this one.
However, there was bad news regarding Joao Pedro, who will miss a few weeks of action, although that may not be after the international break. Jan Paul van Hecke’s big injury is also expected to keep him out for a few weeks. Simon Adingra is also a fitness concern, but he could be included after a late assessment.
Mats Wieffer and Carlos Baleba will start in the midfield double pivot, while Georginio Rutter is well-placed for an advanced midfield berth behind central striker Danny Welbeck. With Adingra in doubt, Yakunba Minteh will begin on the right wing, with Kaoru Mitoma pencilled in for the left-hand side.
At the back, Adam Webster should take van Hecke’s place at the heart of the defence again, while Ferdi Kadioglu will continue at right-back. The Brighton manager might also take a late call on his goalkeeping selection, as Bart Verbruggen is under pressure after shipping four against Chelsea, and Jason Steele is breathing down his neck.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Wieffer, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Tottenham
Ange Postecoglou has a few injury problems to contend with, as Son Heung-min and Destiny Udogie are two key players missing from the midweek Europa League action. The latter is expected to make the team for Sunday, but the Tottenham captain will probably miss out against Brighton & Hove Albion and return after the international break.
Wilson Odobert and Richarlison are also absent from proceedings, as has been the case of late. Postecoglou will continue with his more attacking setup from midfield, as Rodrigo Bentancur will have the support of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the midfield trifecta.
The misfiring Timo Werner will have another chance at redemption in front of goal as he continues to deputise for Son. Brennan Johnson will aim to continue his superb vein of form, with the lethal Dominic Solanke leading the line for the Tottenham against Brighton.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulisevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner
Key stats
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in their last three matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
- A win away at Brighton will be the first time in 12 months under Ange Postecoglou that Tottenham will win back-to-back games on the road.
- After winning their first two matches of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Brighton & Hove Albion are without a victory in four top-flight outings (D3 L1). In addition, the Seagulls have won only one of their last 16 league games in October (D9 L6).
- Tottenham will look to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since last December. They could also score three or more goals in three successive league victories, a feat they last achieved in April 2022.
- Brighton striker Danny Welbeck has two goals in his 20 previous Premier League appearances against Tottenham, last finding the net against them on New Years’ Day in 2014.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
The Tottenham frontman has had a few good games, as he continues to find his scoring boots more often than not these days. Solanke has been swiftly rewarded with a call-up to Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming international break.
Solanke’s 21 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season is more than any other Englishman barring Cole Palmer (28) and Ollie Watkins (23). The 27-year-old is aiming to score in three consecutive league appearances for the first time since December.
The Englishman will likely have another impactful time on the pitch and will want to continue his scoring form for his club. He will have a lot to deliver in Son Heung-min’s continued absence. All eyes will be on the Tottenham striker, who will look to celebrate his call-up to the England national side with another positive showing against Brighton this weekend.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Tottenham
This will be a really tight game from a neutral perspective. Brighton & Hove Albion are a side hungry to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment, and their manager will want a stern response against Tottenham.
Spurs, on the other hand, are in good form coming to the Amex Stadium. Ange Postecoglou’s charges will be boosted by that win over Manchester United and will aim for a win against Brighton. Overall, Tottenham could emerge as the better of the two attacking units and get a narrow 2-1 reverse winning place.
