Key events
43 mins: Two moments of absolute quality from Xavi Simons in the space of two minutes, and if only he’d managed a third moment of absolute quality Spurs would have been two up.
42 mins: Simons checks inside Kadioglu really nicely there to completely perplex the Brighton defender and leave himself a clear shot on goal from not far out, and he calmly sidefoots against the foot of the post. It bounces out perfectly into the path of Porro who absolutely lashes it goalwards, but Verbruggen fingertips it to safety!
41 mins: Simons hits the post when he should score! And then Verbruggen savesd brilliantly from Porro!
40 mins: Simons has the ball on the edge of the area, and Wieffer gives him all the time he needs to look up and pick a pass. He picks a good ’un. chipping it into the area towards the run of Porro but close enough to Verbruggen to tempt the keeper off his line. He hares out to punch, Porro gets there first, and the ball bounces into an empty net!
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Brighton (Porro, 39 mins)
Tottenham are only actually winning a game of football!
37 mins: Wieffer is booked for a foul which gives me the opportunity to tell you, which I markedly failed to do at the time, that Bissouma was also booked a few minutes back.
36 mins: And again they push! A nice pass into Hinshelwood, who is sent flying in the penalty area by Van de Ven’s shoulder charge. Then Udogie gets the ball, hares across the edge of his penalty area and flings himself over the nearest Brighton leg. It seems bizarre, risky defending to me, and not even remotely a foul, but the referee gives it.
35 mins: And another chance for Brighton, who chip a free-kick into the area. Welbeck heads it goalwards, but Kinsky falls upon it.
33 mins: Spurs remarkably fail to concede! Minteh crosses from the right, it’s headed back across goal, and Van de Ven gets there just before Welbeck, from about 12in out, and with his left foot smashes it into the inside of his own goalpost, the ball then running more or less across the goalline before being cleared.
32 mins: Shots on target: 0, Corners: 7. It’s been that kind of game thus far.
30 mins: Minteh, who always seems to be involved in something, slides a low and slow cross along the edge of the area, but Van Hecke can’t quite reach it.
28 mins: A slightly wild passage of play on the Brighton right almost ends with Minteh getting past enough challenges to have a shot, but he is finally crowded out, Gallagher is brought down, and Spurs can reset.
26 mins: Another Brighton corner and a much better one, which Kinsky has to flap away and out the other side for a throw.
23 mins: Down the other end, and Brighton win themselves a corner, which Minteh curls across the six-yard box and out the other side. The play in this game has so far been very busy, but not very good.
22 mins: The next corner drops eventually to Kolo Muani, who has the wildest of left-footed thrashes at it and wallops the ball deep into the stands.
21 mins: The corner is headed to the edge of the area by Boscagli, where Simons seizes upon it and has a shot, which deflects wide.
20 mins: Gomez limps off, stopping a couple of times to feel the back of his left knee. Play will resume with a Spurs corner.
20 mins: Mitoma is getting ready to come on, with Gomez still on the ground.
18 mins: Gomez lands awkwardly after going for a header, and it looks like he might have genuinely done himself an injury. He’s full face in hands at the moment.
16 mins: That leads to a corner, at which Kolo Muani touches Wieffer’s arm – with both hands, to be fair, but I didn’t see anything I would describe as a grip – Wieffer throws himself to the ground, and the referee buys it.
15 mins: Kadioglu midjudges a left-wing cross, which bounces over his head and nearly to Kolo Muani.
13 mins: Brighton haven’t really accomplished much yet. Gomez tries to find Minteh but Porro gets ahead of him, gives him a bit of a shoulder-barge, and then belts the ball into touch.
10 mins: Udogie goes down in the area after nipping in front of Minteh. He wants a penalty, but again the referee is happy for play to continue and VAR isn’t going to overrule him. Looks like there’s a brief tug of his shorts as he breaks into the area, but it would have been an extraordinarily generous penalty decision if given.
7 mins: Absolutely excellent what-me-guv innocentface from Gomez after he concedes a free-kick. Beautiful technique.
5 mins: A big punt forward from Kinsky towards Solanke, who seems to pretty deliberately take out van Hecke. They both go down and the ball bounces forward, with Simons haring after it. He’s not far away from getting it, either, but Verbruggen comes out to huff it away in the nick of time. Again, the referee lets play continue.
3 mins: Lots of people running around as the game starts with a high tempo. But then Danso stops Minteh completing a one-two and thereby concedes a free-kick on halfway.
1 min: Peeeeeep! Action time! Brighton kick off, with at least one Spurs player several yards into their half. The referee lets it go.
Right then. Action time (almost).
The players are on their way out. The home fans have been given flags to wave, and they are doing so enthusiastically. It’s quite a sight. Now they need their players to show similar commitment.
Fabian Hurzeler has a chat!
It’s very important, I just said to the group, it’s not about being in form it’s about habits, it’s about showing the right habits today. I expect Tottenham to have a clear style of play, Roberto is known for that. He did a brilliant job here but today it’s Brighton against Tottenham, it’s a focus on trying to get three points and that’s the only focus we’ve got.
The relegation trapdoor is ready to swing into action: Wolves’ defeat today means they will go down if Spurs win today. Roberto de Zerbi has had a quick chat, and this is what he said about Maddison’s return:
James is one of the leaders, of the most important players in the squad. I think he can give us energy, quality, because when he is available to play his quality is amazing, and in this moment we need everyone. We need all players focused on Tottenham, and especially an important player like James.
James Maddison returns to Spurs squad for first time this season
Look who’s back! As it happens, Roberto De Zerbi was asked yesterday about James Maddison and the possibility of him returning from injury. This is what he said:
I don’t know yet. I don’t want to push too much. I’m used to waiting for the players when they are available, totally available to play and to restart the training, because it’s better to lose one game more than to take a risk for another new injury.
Which sounded to me like a no. And yet, here he is.
The teams!
The team sheets have been handed in to the referee and can no longer be changed unless someone asks very nicely. And here are those teams:
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Gallagher; Kolo Muani, Simons, Bissouma; Solanke. Subs: Austin, Bergvall, Dragusin, Gray, Joao Palhinha, Maddison, Spence, Tel, Richarlison.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Gomez, Ayari, Hinshelwood, Gross, Minteh; Welbeck. Subs: De Cuyper, Kostoulas, Mitoma, O’Riley, Baleba, Rutter, Steele, Veltman, Igor Julio.
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
VAR: Jarred Gillett.
Hello world! And welcome to today’s episode of Who Wants to Win a League Game in 2026!
Spurs are very close to using all their lifelines and they’ve still had no lucky, but with the two teams immediately above them, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, playing on Monday and Sunday respectively today is an opportunity to turn up the heat in the relegation dogfight, or indeed to deflate the pressure in the relegation dogfight balloon, depending how it goes.
The bad news for Spurs is that, well, they’re rubbish. Since that last league win, a 1-0 success at Crystal Palace on 28 December, they have taken a shameful five points from 14 games, by a massive margin the worst record in the division, while in the same period and also playing 14 times Brighton have 22 points, the fifth-best record in the land (above Everton on goal difference).
The good news is that Brighton begins with the letter B. Even while letting Bournemouth do the double over them Spurs have overperformed against B-sides this season, averaging 1.29 points per game, the record of a solidly mid-table side. Against non-B-sides they’ve taken just 0.84 points per game. But Brighton have won their last three and five of their last six, and ride into this reunion with their former coach Roberto De Zerbi on a wave of form.
Here’s what De Zerbi had to say about this game:
I’m positive. I’m ready to fight. I believe to keep the Premier League, I believe in my words, what I said the last week was the focus is to win one game. I don’t know if tomorrow we are able to win, I hope and I think we have the quality enough to win a game.
I think it’s crucial to win a game, not just for the table – OK, one part for the table for sure – but because we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what they can do, because I have no doubt about the qualities of the players. OK, now is a tough moment, but to achieve the great target you have to pass through difficult times.
So here’s to a fun couple of hours, and an end to difficult times.
