SussexWorld

Tottenham vs Brighton in the Premier League from the Tottenham Stadium - Saturday 5.30pm

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Brighton will hope to continue their fine recent run at Tottenham this Saturday.

Albion's 2-0 win at Burnley last time out was their fifth in the last six and moved them to ninth in the Premier League.

Another three points against Roberto De Zerbi's rekegation threatened Tottenham will further strengthen Albion's last push for Europe.

Spurs are in a real mess. Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor have been and gone and former Albion boss De Zerbi has now been entrusted to prevent one of the most surprising relegations in Premier League history.

De Zerbi's first match in charge saw them lose 1-0 at Sunderland last Saturday and he now has six matches to save their season.

Brighton’s predicted XI

Bart Verbruggen - GK: The Dutch international was rotated with Jason Steele under De Zerbi but the 23-year-old has firmly established himself as Hurzeler’s No 1.

Mats Wieffer - RB: The midfielder has been successfully converted to a right back under Hurzeler and will be on a high after his two-goal blast at Burnley.

Jan Paul van Hecke - CB: Broke into the Albion first team under De Zerbi and is now one of the club’s most highly prized assets.

Olivier Boscagli - CB: Will likely step-up once again as Lewis Dunk serves the last of two match ban. A classy defender and adapting well to the PL.

Ferdi Kadioglu - LB: The Turkey international is having a fine season. He has made the left back spot his own despite competition from Maxim De Cuyper.

Yasin Ayari - CM: Came in for the injured James Milner and performed well in the 2-0 win at Burnley. Milner should be fit but Ayari should keep his place.

Pascal Gross - CM: The German was a favourite under De Zerbi and more than proving his worth for Hurzeler following his January return from Dortmund. What a player he has been for Brighton! Keeping Carlos Baleba out of the team.

Yankuba Minteh - RW: The Gambian flyer has had a mixed season but seems to be hitting top form for the final stages of the season. Needs a goal or two.

Jack Hinshelwood - No 10: De Zerbi was a big fan of Hinshelwood and handed him his first team debut. The England under-21 is impressing at the moment in the No 10 role and should keep his spot.

Diego Gomez - LW: This is another big call but the Paraguayan just about gets the nod ahead of Kaoru Mitoma on the left flank at the moment. Expect Mitoma to make an impact from the bench.

Danny Welbeck - CF: The former Arsenal striker will no doubt get a warm reception at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Don’t bet against him adding to his 11 goals this term.

Tottenham vs Brighton in the Premier League from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Saturday 5.30pm

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Brighton will resume their push for Europe as they travel to relegation threatened Tottenham on Saturday.

The Seagulls have won five of their last six Premier League matches as they continue their late push for Europe.

Fabian Hurzeler's men are ninth in the table and arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the back of a solid 2-0 win at Burnley last time out.

Tottenham are in the mire. Their defeat at Sunderland last weekend sees them in the bottom three and they have just six matches to save themselves from relegation.

Former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is the new man in the dugout and it will be his debut outing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Here's how the walking wounded are shaping up for Tottenham and Brighton.

Brighton's outs and doubts

Adam Webster - out: The experienced defender is making progress after his preseason ACL injury but unlikely to feature this term.

Stefanos Tzimas -out: The Greek striker did his ACL in the 4-3 home loss to Aston Villa earlier this season.

Lewis Dunk - out: The Brighton skipper serves the second of his two-match suspension for 10 bookings.

James Milner - doubt: The veteran midfielder was sidelined with the "small issue" and Hurzeler expects to have him back to face Tottenham

Tottenham's outs and doubts

Wilson Odobert - out: The winger remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Dejan Kulusevski - out: The winger has been a huge miss for Tottenham this season as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury.

James Maddison - out: The England midfielder has missed the entire campaign with a serious knee injury.

Rodrigo Bentancur - out: The Uruguayan midfielder has been struggling with a thigh issue. He missed the Sunderland game and Brighton could arrive too soon.

Ben Davies - out: The experienced defender underwent ankle surgery and is ruled out

Guglielmo Vicario - out: The Italian keeper had a hernia operation and missed the Sunderland match.

Mohammed Kudus - out: Another blow to their creative talents as the winger has struggled with a thigh injury.

Cristian Romero - doubt: The skipper left the pitch in tears at Sunderland having sustained a knee issue. He's a major doubt

Yves Bissouma - doubt: The former Brighton man is currently managing a muscle issue.

Tottenham vs Brighton in the Premier League from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Saturday 5.30pm

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham look like a “concoction of misfits” with “a set of ingredients that don’t go together” compared to other teams fighting for Premier League survival, according to pundit Gary Neville.

Leeds battled to a 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night to move six points clear of Spurs, who sit 18th.

West Ham had thumped bottom club Wolves 4-0 on Friday night to haul themselves out of the bottom three, with Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Champions League chasing Aston Villa on Sunday as Spurs slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in their first game under new boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Former United and England defender Neville believes the way Leeds set about delivering a first Premier League win at Old Trafford showed just how far away Spurs are from putting together a team which can secure top-flight survival.

“In the first half, they (Leeds) were absolutely wonderful. That is a performance I don’t think Tottenham are capable of – and that is the scary thing for Tottenham,” Neville said on his podcast for Sky Sports.

“Not the six points by the way that Leeds have gone clear of them, but the actual performance levels they put in. They (Tottenham) are nowhere near that.

“You watch Spurs against Sunderland and it is a set of ingredients that don’t go together, a concoction of misfits, yet you watch Leeds and there is a balance and a flow.”

Tottenham to regroup for Brighton

Tottenham – who are two points below West Ham – must now regroup for Saturday’s visit of Brighton, when they are expected to be without captain Cristian Romero.

Argentina defender fought back tears as he hobbled off at the Stadium of Light having been injured in a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

According to reports, Romero – who was pictured on social media walking through London with a bandage around his right knee – is set to miss the rest of the season.

De Zerbi said after the Sunderland game that the extent of Romero’s injury would need to be properly assessed, acknowledging he was a “crucial player for us”.

Tottenham have yet to comment on the reports over a timescale for Romero’s recovery.

Tottenham vs Brighton at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium - Saturday, 5.30pm

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham’s relegation battle suffered a further blow with an injury to captain Cristian Romero.

Roberto De Zerbi’s team suffered a painful 1-0 loss at Sunderland yesterday and dropped in the bottom three with just six matches to play.

The new Spurs boss will hope to have Romero available for this Saturday’s crunch clash against his former club Brighton, the Italian’s first match in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was a worrying moment concerning Romero, who was involved in a collision with his own goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, while defending the ball from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

The tearful Tottenham captain was substituted off, while Kinsky had a bandage wrapped around his head and was able to continue.

Speaking after the match, De Zerbi was uncertain about the extent of Romero’s injury.

“We don’t know yet, we have to see in the next game, in the next days,” he said.

“I hope for us it’s not too important a problem because he’s a crucial player for us.

“He’s a good guy, good player, top player, big personality and we need him to finish this season and to achieve our goal.”

A difficult moment for De Zerbi

De Zerbi admitted Tottenham are in a “difficult moment” after the loss at Sunderland.

The Italian’s first game as Spurs boss ended in a 1-0 defeat, meaning the club finished the weekend inside the Premier League’s relegation zone.

In an open first half, Tottenham had a penalty decision overturned by VAR and had opportunities through Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

However, Sunderland broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when Nordi Mukiele’s strike deflected off Micky van de Ven and dipped into the net, leaving Kinsky no chance.

Pedro Porro was denied twice by Robin Roefs in additional time, but the north London side ultimately slipped to a 16th league defeat of the season.

“I think we played a good game, especially in the first half, with the ball and without the ball,” said the ex-Brighton boss.

“We had three clear chances to score, one with Solanke, one with Richarlison, another with (Lucas) Bergvall.

“We played well, but we don’t play well enough to win the game because in the end, in the second half, we suffered too much. To Sunderland, we lost 20/30 metres on the pitch.

“We had another important chance with Richarlison just two minutes before conceding the goal. We can play better, we can do something more, as energy, as passion on the pitch, with more enthusiasm, yes.

“But now we are inside of a difficult moment. I would like to help the players to show what they can do on the pitch because we played a good game, but we can play much better than today.

“My job is not now to change the style of play, I did two or three things with the ball, two or three things without the ball.

“The crucial part is not with the ball or without the ball. It’s in our mentality to be positive, but to be positive just because we have the quality enough to win a game.

“When we go to win a game we can change other things.”

The latest international break of the campaign is set to come to a close, with Fabian Hurzeler set to welcome back a number of key faces ahead of this weekend’s visit of Brentford.

Albion have had a mixed start to the new season after picking up 16 points from their opening 11 matches so far.

This has left the Seagulls 11th ahead of the latest round of fixtures, with the Bees set to make the short trip from the capital to the Amex on Saturday. Brighton will be spirited by their impressive home form and are just one of four sides yet to taste defeat on home soil.

After a varied start to the season, where could Hurzeler’s men finish in this term?

We’ve taken to football statistics website, Opta, who have used their data to predict how the final Premier League table could look in May.

Here’s where Albion and their top flight rivals are expected to finish.

When Josh Flint when on a marauding run to set up Crawley Town's first goal against Fleetwood Town, it was a like watching a rerun of a a goal scored at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week.

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

The Reds defender, after quick thinking from keeper Jojo Wollacott, ran almost the length of the pitch before laying off the perfect pass to Louis Flower, whop put Reds ahead.

And it was a repeat of Micky van de Ven’s much-lauded goal against Copenghagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The only thing missing was Flint scoring himself, but everyone in the stadium was still full of praise for the defender for the part he played.

And when we asked Harry Forster, who scored what turned out to be the winner in the 2-1 victory for Reds, if Flint had been comparing himself to van de Ven after the game, his reply was: “Do you know what? That's what I was shouting at him. it's an unbelievable run and fair play to him, how fast he ran up that field.

"If the gaps are there for our centre-back to go on a marauding run at 80 yards down the pitch, then we're going to do it. That came from their corner, so, we've got all that space there then. But when they're banking up like that, it's impossible for the centre-backs to do that, but with all that space there. It was an unbelievable run from Flinty.”

And boss Scott Lindsey praised goalkeeping coach Kris Dixon for his part in the goal. “The credit's got to go to the goalkeeping coach as well, Dicko, because we do a lot of work on defensive set-pieces and we don't just defend the set-piece, we then talk about and go through in training what it looks like if Jojo catches it.

"Can we spring off the back of them and go counter-attack quickly to kind of turn their strength in the fact that they've got a corner into their weakness, the fact that they've got all their players up the pitch? And I thought that Jojo did it great. Flint, he ran brilliantly with the ball, didn't he? And I thought Louis Flower's movement off the ball, his willing determination to run forward was excellent and a great finish from the boy.”

And Forster said there was only one thing on hs mind when he got the ball leading up to his goal. “100%. When it was opening up like that, I was just waiting for the centre-back to come and press me, but he didn't. So, I was like, ‘oh, even better’. I get a couple of touches at my feet, get near the box and then finish it. That was all in my mind,” he said.

The winger, who replaced Scott Malone early on after the he got an injury, has got a habit of scoring worldies for Crawley, but he didn’t rank this as his best – he said his one against Bristol Rovers a couple of years ago bettered it. “I actually prefer dribbling goals to shots from outside the box,” he said.

Brighton let a two-goal lead slip to an impressive Tottenham team at the Amex Stadium last Saturday.

Excellent goals from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari gave Fabian Hurzeler’s side the advantage but a first half effort from Richarlison and an own goal from Jan Paul van Hecke earned each team a point.

The Seagulls have five points from the opening five matches and sit 14th in the table, while Thomas Frank’s Tottenham are second, behind leaders Liverpool, with 10 points.

"There were two teams on the pitch with a lot of energy, with a lot of intensity,” said Hurzeler. “They have a squad with really, really good players. I think it's also part of the truth. They just have a lot of individual quality on the bench.

"So when you look at the bench, it's just unbelievable which options they have. I think that's maybe the biggest difference.”

Brighton face Barnsley in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and then return to Premier League action at Chelsea on Saturday.

Tottenham welcome Doncaster in the League Cup on Wednesday and are then in top flight action as they host lowly Wolves on Saturday.

We take a look at the latest predicted table provided by the stats experts at Opta...

Sign In

Ian Hart: My life’s all the richer for having had Ricky Hatton in it

TRENDING

'All claiming' - Brighton players plead in vain for VAR intervention after Richarlison halves deficit for Tottenham in entertaining first-half

Brighton took a two-goal lead at home against Tottenham Hotspur but conceded at a less than ideal time, just as the half-time whistle was approaching.

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Subscription Offers

Submitting...

Richarlison was the goalscorer on the 43rd minute – with Tottenham's first shot on goal – after the striker was found by Mohammed Kudus. Bart Verbruggen got a hand to it but couldn’t keep the Brazilian’s effort out.

Albion players immediately remonstrated with the referee Chris Kavanagh – appealing for a handball in the build-up.

Replays showed that the ball appeared to hit the hand of João Palhinha, when he won the ball for Spurs in the middle of the park.

Andy Stevenson, BBC Final Score’s reporter at Amex Stadium, said: “The Brighton defenders are all claiming a handball and it has gone to VAR. A way back into the game for Tottenham... For now.”

The goal was given after a quick check behind the scenes.

There was a slightly longer VAR check earlier in the match when Yankuba Minteh brilliantly opened the scoring for Albion against the run of play, after eight minutes.

The Gambian wide man took his first goal of the season in style – rounding Guglielmo Vicario after a fast break-away. It was Minteh’s second goal in three appearances in the Premier League against Tottenham.

A VAR check confirmed Minteh timed his run perfectly from Georginio Rutter’s pass – before bursting clear of the defence.

Andy Stevenson said: “One of the most against the run of play goals we have seen in the Premier League so far.

“Tottenham have dominated the opening minutes but Minteh finished coolly.”

Dion Dublin, former Aston Villa and Man Utd striker, added on Final Score: “You have to drop off there if you're Tottenham. It was too close to the half way line to play offside, you have to step back.

“Minteh still has to time his run absolutely perfectly because he just steps into the Spurs half as the ball is played and it's a cool finish.”

Former Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown said, on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Yankuba Minteh won the ball back, he pressed really strongly.

“He's got such a long way to travel as he enters the Spurs half but his touches are good.

“He sits the goalkeeper down and pokes it in. Sensational finish.”

The Seagulls doubled their lead through Yasin Ayari, after 31 minutes. It was well-hit strike from distance but Vicario did not cover himself in glory.

Brown said: “This is from absolutely nothing again.

“Yasin Ayari was so far away, really wide on the far left hand side.

“It moves late but the goalkeeper will be disappointed as it drifts into the far corner.”

Former Newcastle and Man City goalkeeper Shay Given, who is another pundit on Final Score, said it was a ‘good strike’ from Ayari but ‘Vicario has to do better’.

He added: “I think he was surprised a bit. Bergvall gave the ball away and he wasn't set, so he gets a hand to it but doesn't drive into the save with his feet.”

Related topics:TottenhamVARBrightonRicharlison

This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy noticeAI PolicyModern Slavery Statement

Crawley Town’s newest signing Ryan Loft has impressed Scott Lindsey this week – and the Reds boss said the striker brings something different he hasn’t had before at the Broadfield Stadium.

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

The 27-year-old forward has plenty of EFL experience, having also played for Stevenage, Exeter City, Carlisle Utd, Scunthorpe Utd, Bristol Rovers and Port Vale. He originally came through the Tottenham Youth system, playing at u18 and u23 level, as well as playing for Leicester City u23s.

And he is contention to be involved in Saturday’s match at Harrogate Town after impressing in training this week.

Lindsey said: “I think that the biggest thing for me was bringing a little bit more nous and experience to the team. Obviously we did that with Scott Malone and now Lofty as well.

“He's added to that little bit of experience, played many games in the Football League. And I think he's 27 years of age. It's not kind of a young, young one.

“And I'm watching him in training and I'm quite excited to see him play.”

But what has caught Lindsey’s eye most about Loft? “He's a good footballer, first of all,” he said. “He's come out of Tottenham. Tottenham don't usually have bad footballers for a start.

“He can handle the ball really well. He's actually really, really quick. He's a fast runner for a big lad.

“And he's a big lad, which, we've not been blessed with certainly at the top of the pitch over the times I've been here.

“Not that we're going to start lumping it forward because we're not, but it gives us that physicality from set pieces in both boxes and probably would encourage us to probably cross the ball more, which I've been trying to get the players to do anyway.

“He’s a brilliant signing for me. Looking forward to seeing him play. He's been amazing in training, I've got to say.”

And Lindsey confirmed he is likely to be involved at Harrogate. “He's fit and available so he stands a chance of being involved in the game certainly.

“It’s exciting to see him in a Crawley shirt actually. I think it's something that I've never had is kind of a little bit of size up the pitch.

“So we’ll see how that looks and I'm looking forward to that.”

Sign In

Former Wimbledon winner tips Andy Murray to become Emma Raducanu’s new permanent coach

Fresh twist as Newcastle United bid rejected amid Brighton and Joao Pedro link

TRENDING

Tottenham transfer completes unique Premier League hat-trick after Leeds United and Brighton deals

Click here for more of our videos

on ShotsTV.com or watch on Freeview 262

Visit ShotsTV.com

Three former Kawasaki Frontale players are currently set to play in the Premier League next season

Sign up to our Brighton and Hove Albion FC newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to SussexWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Learn More

Submitting...

Tottenham’s deal to sign Japan international defender Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale means three former Frontale stars could be in the top flight next season.

The 20-year-old will move to north London in July for a £5million fee and will compete in central defence with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin.

Takai will join Ao Tanaka of Leeds United and Brighton’s Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma. Here’s a look at the talented Japanese trio.

Kaoru Mitoma

Brighton’s 28-year-old Japanese winger, is one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League, currently attracting interest from Bayern Munich. Sky Germany stated: “Bayern Munich will target Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma if they miss out on Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.”

Since joining Brighton in 2021 from Frontale for around £3m, Mitoma has notched 20 goals and 13 assists in 88 appearances, showcasing his dribbling and pace.

Mitoma is a huge favourite with the fans and has a habit of producing spectacular goals, which has made him one Brighton’s most in-demand players. His contract runs until 2027 and the Seagulls hope he will be at the Amex next season.

Ao Tanaka

Leeds United’s 26-year-old Japanese midfielder, has become a fan favourite since his £3.4m move from Fortuna Düsseldorf in August 2024.

He moved to Düsseldorf in 2021 after making 79 appearances for Kawasaki Frontale.

His technical prowess, passing, and tactical awareness earned him a spot in the Championship Team of the Season and Leeds’ Players’ Player of the Year award.

He is nicknamed “Tiger Tanaka” by manager Daniel Farke but fans often chant “A-O!” for the midfielder, who expressed his joy at promotion with 150,000 supporters.

Kota Takai

The 20-year-old Japanese centre-back, has joined Tottenham Hotspur from Kawasaki Fron for a record-breaking £5m J-League transfer.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Takai’s athleticism, 88 per cent pass completion, and defensive ability – including his performance against Cristiano Ronaldo in the AFC Champions League – make him a promising talent.

He rejected Udinese, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Hoffenheim to join Spurs, where he’ll compete with Romero, Van de Ven, Danso, and Dragusin.

Japanese football expert Dan Orlowitz noted, “It was inevitable a player of Takai’s ability would make the jump to a leading European league”.

His contract runs until 2030.

He made his international debut in September in a 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over China having helped his club side to an eighth-place finish domestically last season.

He is the club’s second signing since Thomas Frank was appointed as head coach in place of Ange Postecoglou earlier in June, after Mathys Tel’s six-month loan from Bayern Munich was made permanent.

In 2024 he was named Japan’s young player of the year having broken into Kawasaki’s first team two years previously.

Related topics:BrightonPremier LeagueBayern MunichJapanLeeds UnitedTottenham

This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy noticeAI PolicyModern Slavery Statement