Tottenham Hotspur faced a setback in their pursuit of a top-four finish, succumbing to a 4-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. The late resurgence spared them from enduring their most substantial loss under the management of Ange Postecoglou this season.
Had they emerged victorious, the injury-plagued Spurs would have surged past Manchester City into fourth place. However, they found themselves overpowered on the south coast, where a depleted Brighton side also missing key players delivered an impressive performance.
A forceful early goal by Josh Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro’s successful penalty handed the hosts a well-deserved 2-0 lead at halftime, as Tottenham struggled to cope with Brighton’s relentless intensity.
As Guglielmo Vicario and Joao Pedro converted another penalty, the match seemed out of reach for Tottenham. However, a late entry into the game, Alejo Veliz, struck from close range in the 75th minute, and Ben Davies added a header, suddenly igniting hopes of a miraculous comeback.
In stoppage time, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s effort struck the post, creating nervous moments for Brighton. Nonetheless, they managed to hold on, propelling themselves into eighth place in the table with 30 points, while Tottenham remains in fifth place with 36 points, just one point behind the top four.
The final scoreline scarcely reflected the tumultuous nature of the match, during which Tottenham often played second fiddle but displayed resilience to salvage some pride.
