Brighton will be kicking themselves as Tottenham Hotspur had the spirit to take back a point from their trip to the Amex Stadium after going 2-0 down. It is a familiar feeling for fans of the side from the south coast: moments of clear quality could not compensate for issues at match management.
Threatening forwards find a way
The factory line on the south coast seldom disappoints for long. Joao Pedro put pen to paper to sign for Chelsea in July, but the futureproofing process had already taken place in the attacking roster.
Their most mercurial talent, and a player who had growing importance, is Georginio Rutter.
In the 8th minute, he picked the lock brilliantly. Brajan Gruda got hold of the ball, took it away from Rodrigo Bentancur, and fed it to the central forward. He held off Micky van de Ven and had the vision to hook a clipped ball behind for Yankuba Minteh to chase. His teammate finished the job.
The French forward has the drive, guile, and creativity to get the ball into the final third, and he can go to a greater level with a nastier streak in front of goal. That is where one of the wide men helps.
Minteh, whose manager said he is "always a threat" after this contest, left a mark again. Apart from his goal, his relentless running let him be an outlet for the likes of Rutter to try to hit on the break.
Indeed, there has been so much talent on the flanks and in the mould of a second striker that one can forget Kaoru Mitoma is still on the books. This team tormented Man City in the final half hour of a 2-1 triumph at the end of August, and their offensive talent in transition is a threat to be respected.
Baleba must dig deep to turn the page
Unfortunately, the day would not last long for the most coveted asset in the ranks of the hosts.
Carlos Baleba came off at half time to make way for Diego Gomez. He has not completed 90 minutes of a match at all in a stop-start season. Iy is a world away from where he was before.
Indeed, the summer has not been straightforward for the 21-year-old. He suffered a knee injury in preseason that complicated his prep for the middle of August. Most of all, he was caught in a saga that suggested Man United had earmarked him as the top target to move their midfield unit forwards.
Call it head loss, lack of rhythm, or something else: the Cameroonian has not been his usual self.
He has not dropped off a cliff. A former number 10 at Lille, he is not always the most switched-on defensively, so that is nothing new. Where he sets himself apart is with the incision of his progressive passing off both feet and balanced ball carries: the range of distribution at times was impressive
At his top level, he felt like a one-man midfield holding it together for the Seagulls. With only a half of football in his legs due to fatigue, there is still some work needed to get Baleba back to his best.
Hurzeler handles the second order problem
In the 75th minute, Hurzeler had an idea. He chose to take off Minteh and put on Diego Coppola in his place. The summer signing is a defender, and the switch signalled a reshuffle: the Seagulls sat in a back five where the substitute was an extra centre back next to the initial pairing in the lineup.
However, the plan would quickly fall foul of the known quantity present in the Tottenham ranks.
Ferdi Kadioglu had come back into the fiery furnace in this fixture after his absence with a toe injury. Three appearances off the subs' bench could never completely prepare for the challenge of defending Mohamed Kudus. The winger was a nightmare all day and continued to threaten the opposition.
The Ghanaian had the power, poise, and final ball to be an all-round package, and the changes around him never got to grips with his impact. Twice, he did the heavy lifting to help put Xavi Simons in scoring positions, and his devilish delivery deflected off a flat footed Jan Paul van Hecke.
There were late chances for the hosts. Danny Welbeck would profit from a loose Xavi Simons flick to try his luck at testing Guglielmo Vicario. Minutes later, he might have hit the back of the net if Yasin Ayari had not charged in front of him towards the penalty spot and fluffed his lines.
However, the Amex Stadium would have to stew on another lost lead that raises questions.
Brighton become their own worst enemies
Brighton finished eighth last campaign, but a sense of annoyance at the year was not unfair. With no continental football in midweek and a stacked squad of attackers, the dream was a return to Europe.
The fact that the team failed to achieve the goal is not the worst thing. However, their failings on the way to that outcome were clear and remain problems that are holding them back at the moment.
No Premier League outfit had dropped more than their 22 points from winning positions last term. Already, they have blown a lead in the last minute against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, cocked up countless chances at Everton in a 2-0 defeat, and again sacrificed a two goal advantage in front of their fans.
Even in the first half hour, Spurs showed that they can cut through the Brighton block with ease. Frank had laid out a clear plan for the day, with underlaps from Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall breaking through the lines over and again while Richarlison rolled off Jan Paul van Hecke in duels.