Spurs in must-win territory as they desperately bid to escape relegation zone
Arthur Ferridge
COMMENTS
Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau
I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.
Tottenham host Brighton today as they frantically try to halt their disastrous descent towards relegation from the Premier League.
For the first time this season, Spurs head into a new matchweek sitting in the bottom three after the newly-appointed Roberto De Zerbi lost his first match in charge at Sunderland.
Tottenham are now two points adrift of 17th-place West Ham, and will require nothing less than a win here if they are to quell fans’ increasingly rational fears of going down for the first time since 1977.
But they will have their work cut out for them as they face the Premier League’s form side, Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls.
Brighton have won five of their last six league fixtures and, as a result, can dream of finishing this campaign in the European places provided they keep their form up.
They will be reasonably confident of taking three points away from north London, though, with Spurs’ ever-accelerating downward spiral leaving them still winless in the Premier League in 2026.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Tottenham vs Brighton is scheduled for a 5.30pm BST kick-off today on Saturday April 18, 2026.
The match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
Where to watch Tottenham vs Brighton
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 5pm BST.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau at the ground.
Tottenham vs Brighton team news
Tottenham’s grim form has not been helped by a sustained injury crisis, with captain Cristian Romero set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury sustained during a collision with Antonin Kinsky at the Stadium of Light.
Elsewhere, Guglielmo Vicario is not yet ready to return in goal following hernia surgery, while Mohammed Kudus is out after suffering a setback in his recovery from a quad injury.
Dejan Kulusevski remains sidelined along with James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies.
Key blow: Tottenham captain Cristian Romero will not play again this season
Getty Images
There has been a rare shred of positive injury news for Spurs, though, with Rodrigo Bentancur returning to training after hamstring surgery.
Read More
Chelsea vs Man Utd: Prediction, kick-off time, team news, odds and h2h
Liverpool XI vs Everton: Confirmed team news and predicted lineup
Tottenham XI vs Brighton: Predicted lineup and confirmed team news
Sponsored
Discover a hidden island paradise in the Indian Ocean
Brighton, meanwhile, cannot call upon Stefanos Tzimas or Adam Webster due to knee ligament injuries, with both set to miss the end of the season.
Lewis Dunk is suspended for this match, while James Milner will play no part through injury.
Tottenham vs Brighton prediction
While Spurs had flashes of threat against Sunderland, they did not look like scoring at any point and came away with another dismal defeat, their seventh in eight league matches.
While De Zerbi has now had another week on the training pitch to get his side on song, he has a huge task at hand to right this severely listing ship.
Coming up against the club he once managed, the Italian will be desperate for three points, but it remains to be seen whether five days of training will be enough to turn this abject Spurs side around.
With Brighton very much on form, we expect another tough afternoon for Spurs.
Brighton to win, 2-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Spurs have twice as many wins against Brighton as they do losses, but the reverse of this fixture ended in a rare and dramatic draw.
Tottenham trailed 2-0 after half an hour, but their comeback was completed at the death after Jan Paul van Hecke scored an own goal.
Tottenham wins: 18
Brighton wins: 9
Draws: 5
Tottenham vs Brighton match odds
Tottenham to win: 2/1
Brighton to win: 6/5
Draw: 29/10
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
MORE ABOUT