Football.London

Tottenham will be looking to keep up their winning form of late when they travel to the south coast to take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

Brennan Johnson scored for a fifth-consecutive game as Spurs beat Ferencvaros 2-1 in the Europa League midweek, making it five wins in a row across all competitions – that's the first time Spurs have managed this since March 2021. Next up for Ange Postecoglou's side is a tough trip to Brighton, and the Lilywhites look set to be without captain Heung-Min Son once again.

The last meeting between Spurs and Brighton saw Postecoglou's side win 2-1, with Pape Sarr and Johnson both getting on the scoresheet. The clash at the Amex Stadium was a different story though, with the Seagulls winning 4-2 on their own soil.

So, can Spurs make it three Premier League wins on the bounce this weekend? Let's take a look.

We simulated Brighton vs Spurs to get a score prediction

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that the Seagulls could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Wieffer, Baleba; Enciso, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck.

We predict that Spurs could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Kulusevski, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Brighton had the ball in the net after just 79 seconds when Danny Welbeck slotted Kaoru Mitoma's cross through the legs of Guglielmo Vicario from close range, but the linesman's flag was raised, with the goal ruled out. It was an early scare for Spurs, but it didn't phase them as they took the lead moments later.

Spurs won the ball back from Brighton as the hosts threw bodies forward, allowing Postecoglou's side to hit the Seagulls on the break. Dejan Kulusevski sent Johnson free down the right who used his pace to go one-on-one with the keeper, and an emphatic finish saw the Welshman find the top corner to make it 1-0.

Seven minutes later Spurs doubled their lead, though with a bit of luck. Timo Werner fired the ball into the box from the left, but his overcooked cross miraculously looped over the keeper and into the far corner. Spurs were in full control at the Amex, and just before the break, they grabbed a third.

Dominic Solanke would've been questioning how he missed when he met Johnson's drilled cross inside the box with a side-footed finish, but somehow, Bart Verbruggen palmed the ball over the bar and out for a corner. It was a bad miss from the Englishman, but he more than made up for it when he met the resulting set-piece with a towering header to direct the ball into the back of the net.

After a first half of free-flowing and attacking football, the next half was very different as Spurs struggled to create many chances against a much more organised Brighton defence. No more goals arrived in what was a dull second-half as Spurs left the south coast with three points and a clean sheet.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: Brighton 0-3 Spurs

Gareth Bale was unexpectedly interrupted at the Alfred Dunhill Links Pro Am when a playful dog snatched his golf ball on the course. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid star was in good company, alongside the likes of Andy Murray, Ruud Gullit, Kevin Pietersen, Bill Murray and Piers Morgan at St Andrews.

But it was a cheeky pooch that grabbed the limelight when it sprinted after Bale's shot onto the green. Spotted by Wales Online, the dog stole up the ball and hilariously placed it back where it started, much to the delight of some spectators.

As the situation unfolded and chuckles of laughter spread, one woman – probably the dog’s owner – was heard in a panic, crying out: "Oh, no, no!" Bale, currently paired with Daniel Brown and sitting at tied 18th place at 19 under, watched as Belgian Nicholas Colsaerts took the lead with 14 under.

Meanwhile, David Law claimed third position and Rory McIlroy found himself further down at 49th place. Impressively, Bale has brought his handicap down to scratch, confirming his status as one of the top amateur golfers.

In an interview with Sky Sports earlier this year, Bale explained that he played golf during his playing career to take his mind off the pressures and scrutiny. The former Wales international said: "It [love of golf] actually started quite late for me to be honest.

"We were at Tottenham at the time, and there was quite a few of the boys playing golf. It's kind of a tradition in British football, a lot of the boys play. They invited me one day, I got a set of clubs and kind of just got addicted from there on in."

Bale added: "We had a group of seven or eight of us that used to go out every couple of weeks, whenever we had time, and yeah I got addicted straight away. I had the big banana slice like you do at the start, and I've been working on it ever since to be honest."

The Welshman featured at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Pro Am last year, scoring an impressive one-under-par. Bale said: "Obviously golf is one of the most frustrating sports mentally, but for me, because there's so much pressure in football and people are constantly on top of you, there's scrutiny and media and stuff...

"I always used it as: You have four and a half hours, whether you're with friends or on your own, just to get away from life and all the pressures of football and just have this battle with the golf course and golf ball.

"It was that sort of freedom that I guess really kept me mentally sane during my career, and it helped me a lot to overcome those pressures. I used golf as a tool to help my career to be honest.

"It definitely gave me that calmness and time I needed on my own to reset every time after big games or training or a lot of stuff happening at once."

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has acknowledged the tough task ahead in quelling the threat of Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke as his team aims to rebound from their last defeat against Chelsea.

Solanke's recent form has earned him an England call-up by interim manager Lee Carsley for the Nations League clashes with Greece and Finland, after netting in three consecutive matches for Spurs. After conceding four times at Stamford Bridge last week, Brighton's focus is on bolstering their defence for the upcoming game where they host a high-flying side visiting Amex Stadium with a streak of five victories.

Praising the qualities of the ex-Bournemouth ace, Hurzeler remarked: "I think he’s a whole package of a good striker. He is very good in possession.

"He’s very good in making movements in the opponents’ box. He knows how to get away from an opponent.

"He knows how to move against the opponent when he gets defended in a one-against-one situation. And on top of that, he works also hard against the ball.

"He’s the first attacker for them and he tries to lead the opponent to one side.He tries to put pressure on our defenders, and I think it will be a big challenge to stop him."

Hurzeler will have to make do without Jan Paul van Hecke and Joao Pedro for the clash against Tottenham, as both players are nursing groin and ankle injuries respectively. However, there's a glimmer of hope as Solly March, who has been sidelined for almost a year following a severe knee injury sustained in a match against Manchester City, might make it to the matchday squad.

Summer recruit Brajan Gruda could also make his debut after shaking off an undisclosed injury, while the experienced James Milner is back in the mix after overcoming a hamstring issue.

Tottenham barely have a chance to catch their breath as they are back in action on Sunday at Brighton in the Premier League after arriving home in the early hours of Friday morning.

Spurs are in a great run of form with five wins on the trot and they came through a potentially tricky Europa League tie at Hungarian side Ferencvaros on Thursday night with a much-changed side, featuring four teenagers in the starting line-up. Now Ange Postecoglou's side have just two and a half days to recover before they take on a high energy Brighton side at the Amex Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Tottenham boss has plenty of decisions to make for Sunday's match, not least whether to hand 17-year-old Mikey Moore a further chance to impress after an exciting full debut for the club in Hungary.

We asked our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold and head of football.london Lee Wilmot what side they expect Postecoglou to select on Sunday.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Postecoglou's decision to change much of his team for Thursday night's game paid off as he now has Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur rested up completely and ready to step out at the Amex Stadium and potentially Destiny Udogie, who Postecoglou believes could be fit to return if his involvement in training on Friday and Saturday goes to plan.

The Tottenham boss also has Djed Spence, who was left at home to prepare for the game in case he had to fill in for Udogie or potentially Porro, who played the full match on Thursday night. Centre-back Radu Dragusin is also ready if called upon after his Europa League suspension.

Dominic Solanke barely got on the pitch on Thursday night, while Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski all played a little over 25 minutes each, Johnson of course only further boosting his confidence with his fifth goal in as many games.

The key decision for Postecoglou will come down to whether Timo Werner starts for a third consecutive game after playing 64 minutes on Thursday night or whether the impressive Mikey Moore gets his first Premier League start. The fact that the Spurs head coach had plenty of praise for Werner's performances despite his miss on Thursday night and that he was taken off after the hour mark suggests he might get the nod.

It could also be a big ask for the 17-year-old Moore to start again just two-and-a-half days after his first 90 minutes in a month and only his second since the start of the season. His time will come soon but Postecoglou has often urged caution over the youngster despite his own excitement at his potential.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Lee Wilmot - Head of football.london

A number of key players got a good rest on Thursday night, with a select few playing a small part. That should not impact them too much as we head into Sunday's game at Brighton.

It's high line versus high line so there should be goals. Just hopefully more for Spurs than the home team.

Guglielmo Vicario starts in goal and the backline is as usual - Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, who is fit to return.

Then, I'd go attacking, as Ange Postecoglou has done in recent weeks. Rodrigo Bentancur in the holding (ish) role, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski alongside him in the three.

Then, up top, it's Dominic Solanke, flanked by Brennan Johnson and Mikey Moore for me. The teenager was a breath of fresh air against Ferencvaros and deserves a start in the Premier League.

Wilmot's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Maddison, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Moore.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' emphatic Man Utd victory! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has warned those judging Timo Werner harshly right now and has delivered a positive injury update on Richarlison.

Werner has started in back-to-back matches for Spurs in captain Son Heung-min's hamstring injury-enforced absence. While the 28-year-old German has provided some positive moments in those games, he has also missed a string of clear-cut chances, twice being put through at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Sunday.

Then on Thursday night in the Europa League win at Ferencvaros, 17-year-old winger Mikey Moore picked out Werner on the edge of the box only for the Champions League winner to take a heavy touch in trying to round the goalkeeper and he ended up sending his shot into the side-netting.

Postecoglou has warned against anyone rushing to judgement on the experienced attacker's recent misses in front of goal.

"It was 14 days ago those questions were asked of Brennan [Johnson]. It's where we're at in this world. We just think he's missed two chances so he's hopeless. No, he's not hopeless. All footballers at this level are very, very good footballers," he said. "If you write a bad article, it doesn't mean you're hopeless. You go 'actually I could have done better there but I'll write the next one [better]'.

"Actually, last night Timo, in his first action, took on the winger and put in a brilliant cross for Will [Lankshear] and Will didn't quite get on the end of it. If that goes in, he's had a great assist. He gets a one-on-one, if he scores that, if in the last two games he gets a couple of goals, then we'd be having a different conversation, but that's the fine lines.

"In terms of his general play, I think his last two games have been really good for us. He's been taking on his players, getting in the right areas. Yes, goals help, we've seen that with Brennan, for those kind of positions, but that doesn't mean he's not a good player and that's where I get really annoyed when they put everything on that moment to say he's not a good player. Of course he's a good player. He's a fantastic player.

"Scoring goals would help him, would help us, yes, but we'll persevere with him because I still think he's contributing to the team. As with Brennan, 14 days ago I was sitting here answering questions about Dom Solanke and Brennan. Now we're talking about him in the England team and Brennan's scoring, so it's that fine balance.

"I think [Timo's] performances in the last two games have been better for us in terms of doing his role as a winger in our team. Yes, a goal would be great for him but not for me to say I expect more from him in that position."

Postecoglou also delivered an update on the fitness of Richarlison, who has been out since the early weeks of the season with a troublesome calf injury but has returned to working on the grass at Hotspur Way.

"He's going well. Hopefully post-international break we’ll get him involved in team training," said the Tottenham head coach.

Spurs have had £65million summer arrival Dominic Solanke scoring in Richarlison's absence and Postecoglou is keen to get the Brazilian and the England international as options either together or in competition for the role in leading the north London club's attack.

"I would love that. It’s exactly what we want. That was the plan at the start of the year and then you end up, second game of the season, neither of them is available," said the Australian. "We’ve got a hell of a lot of games and we want to be competitive in all of them.

"I can't wait to get Richy back available. When he played for us last year and was fit, he scored goals. To have him and Dom as our strikers - and Richy can play wide as well - can’t wait to get him back.

"His recent history over the last two or three years is that he hasn’t been able to sustain it, he’s broken down. What we’re trying to do this time around is do everything right so that when he comes back, he stays back. That’s the key with Richy and hopefully that is the case."

Tottenham take on Brighton on Sunday in a tale of two clubs with different approaches to appointing managers in recent years. The Seagulls have always stuck to a type of manager who fits within their possession-based style of football, while Spurs have spoken plenty about having a DNA but in reality have flip-flopped between very different types of managers in recent years.

That has resulted in constant chopping and changing, squads having to be reassembled repeatedly and expensively and a revolving door that meant Postecoglou is the first head coach in half a decade to last a full season at the club. The Australian was asked whether Brighton are a good example of a club sticking to a certain style and thus enjoying easier transitions between managers over recent years.

"It just makes important decisions in a club a lot easier in my opinion," said Postecoglou. "If you know what you want in terms of style of play, style of player, and there's plenty of evidence. You look at a manager and how have his teams played? You look at a player and how has he played?

"But if you don't [look at that] and just say 'he's a great manager, let's bring him in but I want him to play attacking football' but he hasn't done that [in the past]. Then it's more likely to not be a good fit. It's the same with players, and it's about what the club identifies as important to them.

"Brighton have identified and picked managers who have all done well for them, because they say 'this is what we want, this is what we've got and this guy has shown evidence that he can do that'. Same with players. Unless you have a real clear idea of what kind of striker, winger, centre-back you want, then just going for the best centre-back is not necessarily going to work.

"And just going for the best manager is not going to work, and it's a big part of the decisions I've made in my career about where I'm going. 'Do they know what they're getting?' Because I'm not changing. It's not like they can put me in and say 'play counter-attack', because that's not going to happen.

"But at the same time, clubs, owners, they get pressured into saying 'he's a great manager, go and get him', but is he a good fit? I think it's the way to go but others choose a different path."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' emphatic Man Utd victory! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Pedro Porro has made his feelings on Tottenham teammate James Maddison perfectly clear following two major announcements. The duo have been key in Spurs' impressive recent run of form with Porro as just one of four players to retain his place in the starting XI for Thursday's Europa League win against Ferencvaros.

With Destiny Udogie absent through injury, Porro was required to invert and bomb down the touchline with Ben Davies and Archie Gray filling in at left-back. The 25-year-old put in one of his best performances of the season out in Hungary with only the cross bar denying him a second goal of the season.

As a result of his performances for Spurs, Porro has been rewarded on the international stage with a call-up to the Spain squad for the first time since March. Dominic Solanke will also be busy over the October international break after being selected to represent England for the first time in seven years, however Maddison missed out.

Despite having performed at a high level for the last few weeks, the attacking midfielder was ruthlessly left out seemingly because of the options Lee Carsley has in his position. Though Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are ahead of him in the pecking order, Porro is confident Maddison will be back very soon.

In response to his Spain return, Maddison wrote on Tottenham's Instagram post: "About time!!!! Congrats Peter! @PedroPorro29_ [two white heart emojis]". Porro then replied: "@Madders your time will come [flexed arm and white heart emoji] the fight is not negotiated [heart faced emoji]."

As he sees the work Maddison puts in on a daily basis, Porro is clearly full of belief that his fellow Tottenham star will be back on the international stage very soon. While Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou may be happy Maddison will remain at Hotspur Way for the next two weeks, he seems to think he is deserving of an England call-up.

I think Madders has been outstanding so far this year," he admitted earlier this week. "His form from the first game has been really strong physically. I've said a few times that he's back at the levels where he can play in the manner he wants to and do everything he wants in a game.

"In the last two or three weeks he's had an effect on goals and assists as well, which always gets highlighted with players in his position, but his general play has been outstanding. I'm sure if he continues in that vein he will be in the conversation for England squads moving forward."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' emphatic Man Utd victory! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Son Heung-min is a huge doubt for Tottenham Hotspur as they take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The South Korea international has missed the last two Spurs games with a hamstring injury. He was substituted in last week’s 3-0 Europa League clash against Qarabag, with the problem causing him to miss the subsequent 3-0 win over Manchester United and Thursday evening’s 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros.

Spurs are back in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon when they take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium (4.30pm kick-off). Despite the game taking place on Sunday, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers have to make a decision on whether to keep Son in their team before the 11am deadline on Saturday morning.

With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about Son’s availability and if he is able to feature for Tottenham against the Seagulls.

What has been said?

Providing an update on Son in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Ange Postecoglou said that Son is ‘pushing hard’ for a return. "Sonny is unlikely, he's pushing hard but it is too soon,” he said.

He also added that he doesn’t expect the forward to feature for South Korea over the international break. He added: "If he doesn't play for us, it doesn't seem like he's close, it makes sense [to not too]."

Will Son be fit to face Brighton in FPL gameweek 7?

If Postecoglou’s comments are anything to go by, then he is unlikely to feature in the squad against Brighton at the weekend. That will disappoint 6.1% of FPL players who have Son remaining in their team, despite his absence last week.

Son comes at a cost of £9.9 million in the game, and has picked up 33 points so far this season, averaging at 6.6 points per match, the sixth best of midfielders available. The FPL website rates Son’s chances of featuring against Brighton at 25%.

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping a Tottenham star returns from injury to face Brighton in the Premier League this Sunday. Spurs have won their last five games in all competitions and therefore will be looking to enter the October international break with another three points.

The latest victory for the Lilywhites arrived in Europa League action away at Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, with Brennan Johnson and Pape Sarr on target. Destiny Udogie and Son Heung-min both missed the clash through injury, with Radu Dragusin suspended.

Though Postecoglou had only offered updates on Son and Udogie 48 hours prior, the Tottenham boss was on hand to provide the latest on the duo before his side's trip to Brighton at the weekend, with it sounding as though at least one return could be made.

"First things first last night, all good," he said on Friday. "Obviously, fairly tired, but physically no issues from last night’s game. Then out of the guys who sort of stayed back, Destiny, we think, will be okay. We have training today and tomorrow so he has to get through that.

"Sonny unlikely, he’s pushing hard, but I just don’t think the turnaround will be quick enough for him to be available at this stage. And then that’s it, the others are kind of long-term." Udogie going straight back into the team looks likely as long as the Italian can make it through training.

As for the bad news, with Son set to miss out and Wilson Odobert injured, another start for Timo Werner is likely, though Mikey Moore put in a superb display on Thursday evening. The 17-year-old played the full 90 minutes against Ferencvaros and has seemingly proven to Postecoglou that he can be a very useful option this season.

With Odobert expected to miss another four weeks at least, that will be extremely valuable, especially with games coming thick and fast. Elsewhere, Richarlison is still missing because of an injury with Postecoglou, based on his last update, making it clear it could be a while before he is back.

“He is a fair way off; I think you should stop asking me about him until I give you a bit of an update," he revealed last month. He has still not trained with the first team, so he is still a bit off.” Despite that, he was recently captured back out on the grass at Hotspur Way training individually, which suggests progress has been made towards a return.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' emphatic Man Utd victory! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

The number of times Mikey Moore touched the ball on his full Tottenham debut showed not only how much he got involved in the Europa League match at Ferencvaros but also how highly his Spurs team-mates rate the 17-year-old.

Moore was handed his first start by Ange Postecoglou and played the full 90-plus minutes in the European game, earning plaudits for his performance for Spurs in Budapest which should have brought with it an assist after he set up Timo Werner for a big opportunity in the second half.

Playing on the right wing for the first hour and on the left after that, the teenager ran at the Hungarian's defence again and again, sometimes looking to get wide and cross the ball low into the box and sometimes cutting inside. Moore was involved in the build-up to both of Tottenham's goals for Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson, his driving runs getting the visitors up the pitch and into the penalty area at the Groupama Arena.

One remarkable statistic to sum up just how much Moore's senior team-mates trust him despite him being only 17-years-old is the number of times he touched the ball during the encounter in Hungary. The young winger touched the ball a remarkable 70 times, only six times fewer than Yves Bissouma, the man in the centre of Spurs' midfield hub and Moore's total was by far the most of the rest of the midfielder and attackers.

For context, the ever-running, goalscoring Sarr had 56 touches, Lucas Bergvall 48 and Moore's academy team-mate Will Lankshear's battling, scrapping display ultimately only saw him touch the ball 18 times up top. Moore's fellow winger Timo Werner had less than half of the teenager's touches of the ball with 31.

"I thought he was outstanding. It's brilliant for a 17-year-old to play 90 plus minutes in a European away tie," Postecoglou told football.london.

"He just handled it superbly, I kind of knew he would and I think it'll help his growth as a footballer once you get through a sort of experience like that. I think he'll grow and evolve and I didn't feel like I needed to take him off. He still looked strong at the end and was still contributing.

"It's just his ability to deal with pressure and keeping the ball in really tight areas and making really good clean decisions for a young guy. It's not easy today, out there you can see the conditions, it always suits defenders because they can fly in with tackles and he got one in the first 30 seconds.

"He kept his feet well and he takes the responsibility of driving inside or taking his man on. He makes good decisions with the ball. He's got so much growth still, but the good thing is he wants to learn, he wants to develop and I couldn't be happier for him but also pretty pleased that he's part of our football club."

Moore's heavy involvement in the match showed not only how comfortable he feels in the first team environment but also how much his Tottenham team-mates want to give him the ball and that only bodes well for the future.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' emphatic Man Utd victory! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has acknowledged the need for a strong response following his team's first defeat of the season, as they prepare to face Tottenham on Sunday.

The Seagulls' unbeaten run came to an end in a frenetic encounter with Chelsea, where despite netting twice, they suffered a 4-2 loss. Cole Palmer delivered a stunning performance by bagging all four goals for the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

While Hurzeler found positives in Brighton's attacking play, he conceded that their defensive work must be sharpened, especially with the likelihood of being without Jan Paul van Hecke until late November. Hurzeler reflected on the importance of self-honesty after a loss, stating: "I think it's very important after a defeat that you are honest with yourself, that you reflect yourself on what was good, what was not good in this game and if you lose a game of course there are more negative points.

"We analysed these negative points, we discussed with the team about that." The manager emphasised the necessity for improvement and a collective effort to bounce back: "We're trying to find solutions, we're trying to show a reaction as a team on Sunday but again there were also some positive things, especially in possession.

"Chelsea scored four goals, I think we also had chances to score four goals so in the end we have to learn from it. I have to learn from it because I was responsible for the match plan and the match plan was not good enough. Now we try to show a reaction."

Finally, Hurzeler highlighted the team's defensive strategy moving forward: "It's a priority for us to defend better as a team. We are talking a lot about the high line but it's more like an active line. It's also the responsibility of the offensive players to defend the lines so that the opponents can't break the lines that easily, so that their players can't play a ball behind our line."

Van Hecke is poised for an extended stint out of action due to a groin injury. On Joao Pedro's ankle issues, Hurzeler remarked that it'll be assessed "week by week".

Turning to a brighter note on injuries, Solly March has been in training for recent weeks after a lengthy recovery from a severe knee injury sustained against Manchester City nearly a year ago, and he could be named in Sunday's squad.