Thomas Frank’s side recover from torrid start in dramatic Amex thriller
Tottenham have made three changes for today’s Premier League clash with Brighton, with Xavi Simons among those benched as Destiny Udogie makes his first start of the season.
Spurs, who beat West Ham last weekend and then backed it up by seeing off Villarreal in a 1-0 win to start their Champions League campaign on Tuesday, have a new-look left flank at the Amex Stadium today as Wilson Odobert makes a surprise start ahead of Simons on that wing, with full-back Udogie coming in for Djed Spence.
Joao Palhinha is also named in Thomas Frank’s starting XI today after coming off the bench against Villarreal, with Pape Matar Sarr the man to make way.
Spurs look to continue fine start under Thomas Frank as they head to the Amex
Bad memories: Tottenham were 2-0 up at the Amex Stadium last season and went on to lose to Brighton
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Alex Dakers|Matt Verri
Brighton vs Tottenham LIVE!
The new Thomas Frank era continues for Spurs as they travel to the south coast this afternoon. It’s been a positive start to the season for Tottenham, who begin the weekend sitting third in the Premier League table behind only Liverpool and Arsenal having bounced back quickly from a shock home defeat against Bournemouth by easily brushing aside struggling London rivals West Ham last time out.
Spurs then marked their return to the Champions League with a hard-fought win over Villarreal in midweek to continue the early feel-good factor under Frank, who was making his managerial debut in the competition. Now he will want to change Tottenham’s fortunes in a fixture in which they have typically struggled in recent times, losing three of their last four games against Brighton - including both top-flight matches last season despite leading 2-0 away at half-time under Ange Postecoglou.
Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls have won only one of their first four league games, though that was against Manchester City before they were also toppled by Bournemouth. Follow Brighton vs Tottenham live below, with expert analysis from Standard Sport’s Matt Verri at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton vs Tottenham latest news
Brighton players arrive at the Amex Stadium
The hosts have arrived at the Amex!
With just about an hour and a half to go until kick-off, we’re expecting full team news shortly.
Analysis: Have Spurs struck gold with Simons signing?
There are few 22-year-olds who can say they have faced the glare of football’s spotlight for more than a decade. Attention and expectation are nothing new for Xavi Simons, Tottenham’s statement signing, writes Matt Verri.
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Named after the former Barcelona midfielder and manager, he was a child prodigy at the club’s La Masia academy after joining at the age of seven. With his distinct blond curls adding to the intrigue, Simons had over a million Instagram followers by the age of 14.
“People used to have doubts and say: ‘We don’t know if Xavi can play football well, he just has a lot of Instagram followers’,” Simons admitted in an interview in 2023.
The journey since has taken him from Barcelona to London, via Paris, Eindhoven and Leipzig. It has been an unusual career trajectory.
He was training with Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain before he could legally drive, having already appeared alongside Ronaldinho and Neymar in a Nike advert at the age of 15.
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Unable to make his mark at PSG, a sparkling season at PSV got Simons’ career back on track and two years at RB Leipzig cemented his status as one of Europe’s brightest talents.
It was a major coup, therefore, for Spurs to complete a £51.8million deal this summer. Chelsea had already agreed personal terms with Simons but their London rivals moved quickly to secure the playmaker.
Find the full piece here!
Frank drops hint over Simons position
Thomas Frank suggested Xavi Simons could move into a more central at Tottenham as the team develops, but explained his decision to use the summer signing on the left wing since he arrived.
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Simons started out wide in the wins over West Ham and Villarreal, with Frank opting to keep Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr in midfield.
The Dutchman was largely quiet against West Ham but there were more promising signs of his partnership with Destiny Udogie in the Champions League on Tuesday, even if Simons was perhaps fortunate to avoid being sent off in the second half when already on a yellow card.
Although results have been largely positive under Frank, Spurs have struggled for large periods to create chances from open play, leading to calls for Simons to be used in the No10 role.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Brighton, Frank again stated he “sees [Simons] in both positions”.
Read the full story here.
Pre-match preview: Frank faced with tricky Brighton test
There are not a lot of recent happy memories for Tottenham at the Amex Stadium, writes Matt Verri.
Spurs fans will all too vividly remember last season's visit, a 3-2 defeat to Brighton and a result that the team's Premier League season never really recovered from.
Ange Postecoglou's side, at the time on a run of five straight wins, were 2-0 up at the break but collapsed in the second half.
It was miserable for Spurs a year earlier, too. They were 4-0 down with ten minutes to go and only late consolation goals from Ben Davies and Alejo Veliz added a modicum of respectability to the scoreline.
Add in a 4-1 defeat on home soil to Brighton last season and it paints an ugly picture of results and performances against this particular opposition under Postecoglou.
Thomas Frank, though, will not be burdened by those defeats. Asked if his preparations for this afternoon's trip to the south coast included watching recent meetings between the two sides, the Spurs boss was clear.
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Who's in better form?
Tottenham played in the Champions League in midweek for the first time since the 2022-23 season, when they were knocked out in the last-16 by AC Milan.
An own goal from Luiz Junior on four minutes gave them a narrow victory over Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and they return to domestic action this afternoon against a Brighton side in indifferent form.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth last time out, having stunned Manchester City by the same scoreline the week before.
They thrashed Championship side Oxford 6-0 in the Carabao Cup to follow a 2-0 defeat at Everton and a last-minute draw against Fulham on the opening day.
As for Spurs, a shock 0-1 home defeat to Bournemouth a few weeks ago has been Thomas Frank’s only loss so far this season. The Lilywhites have otherwise beaten Burnley, City and West Ham - all to nil.
Brighton vs Tottenham match odds: Spurs the favourites
Brighton to win: 13/10
Draw: 13/5
Tottenham to win: 2/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Brighton vs Tottenham head-to-head history
Brighton wins: 12
Draws: 8
Tottenham wins: 21
Score prediction
These are two teams that, typically, are consistently inconsistent.
One week they can be near-enough unstoppable, and the next, they can be cut through like butter.
Spurs showed their pragmatic side at times against Villarreal last time out, and they used that to their advantage to grind out an important first win in the Champions League.
Brighton are a much younger side that can be exposed at times, and with their injury issues, they are not at their strongest, particularly when Fabian Hürzeler chops and changes his line-up as often as he does.
This is a game that Spurs - who have four wins and four clean sheets from five games in all competitions so far this season - feel they should win.
Tottenham to win, 3-1.
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Tottenham early team news: Palhinha pushing for start
Spurs remain without striker Dominic Solanke, though he is edging closer to returning from an ankle injury.
James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Kota Takai are also all still sidelined for the visitors.
Joao Palhinha started on the bench against Villarreal during the week but made a significant impact when he came on and there is every chance he earns a starting spot here.
We’d expect fellow summer arrivals Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons to also be named in Thomas Frank’s XI, with the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr also in good form.
Joao Palhinha
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Brighton early team news: Hinshelwood out, De Cuyper a doubt
For today’s hosts, Adam Webster and Solly March remain side-lined for an extended period with serious knee injuries, though Mats Wieffer is back along with Diego Gomez.
Brighton’s left-back Maxim De Cuyper is a doubt, but Jack Hinshelwood is now a long-term absentee after picking up an ankle injury early on in last weekend’s loss to Bournemouth.
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Spurs have not enjoyed their trips to the Amex Stadium in recent seasons
Intriguing clash: Brighton host Tottenham at the Amex Stadium on Saturday
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Tottenham return to Premier League action away at Brighton today.
Spurs played in the Champions League in midweek for the first time since the 2022-23 season, when they were knocked out in the last 16 by AC Milan.
An own goal from Luiz Junior on four minutes gave them a narrow victory over Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and they return to domestic action this afternoon against a Brighton side in indifferent form.
Fabian Hurzeler’s team were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth last time out, having stunned Manchester City by the same scoreline the week before.
They thrashed Championship side Oxford 6-0 in the Carabao Cup to follow a 2-0 defeat at Everton and a last-minute draw against Fulham on the opening day.
Brighton are always tricky customers in the league, especially at the Amex Stadium, and this game will be no different for Spurs, who had the double done over them last season by the Seagulls.
A 4-1 rout ended the domestic campaign at home, which followed a galling 3-2 loss on the Sussex coast earlier in the campaign, in which they were 2-0 up at half-time under Ange Postecoglou.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Tottenham vs Brighton is scheduled for a 3pm BST kick-off today on Saturday September 20, 2025.
The match will take place at the Amex Stadium.
Where to watch Brighton vs Tottenham
TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it falls during the 3pm TV blackout still enforced across English football.
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Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Free highlights: Match of the Day will broadcast highlights when it airs at 10:30pm BST on Saturday night.
Brighton vs Tottenham team news
Spurs remain without striker Dominic Solanke, though he is edging closer to returning from an ankle injury.
James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Kota Takai are also all still sidelined for the visitors.
As for Brighton, Adam Webster and Solly March are out for an extended period with serious knee injuries, though Mats Wieffer is back along with Diego Gomez.
Maxim De Cuyper is a doubt, with Jack Hinshelwood also now a long-term absentee.
Brighton vs Tottenham prediction
These are two teams that are consistently inconsistent.
One week they can be near-enough unstoppable, and the next, they can be cut through like butter.
Spurs showed their pragmatic side at times against Villarreal last time out, and they used that to their advantage to grind out an important first win in the Champions League.
Brighton are a much younger side that can be exposed at times, and with their injury issues, they are not at their strongest, particularly when Hurzeler chops and changes his lineup as often as he does.
This is a game that Spurs feel they should win.
Tottenham to win, 3-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Brighton wins: 12
Draws: 8
Tottenham wins: 21
Brighton vs Tottenham match odds
Brighton to win: 13/10
Draw: 13/5
Tottenham to win: 2/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
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Thomas Frank has insisted he has "no hard feelings" towards Yves Bissouma, opening the door to a possible return to the Tottenham squad.
Bissouma is out of contract at the end of the season and his time at north London appeared to be coming to an end this summer.
Having barely featured in pre-season, the Malian international was then dropped for the UEFA Super Cup for disciplinary reasons after Frank became frustrated with his persistent lateness.
Spurs were looking to move Bissouma on before the transfer window closed and talks were held with Turkish clubs but no final agreement would be reached.
It still remains unlikely that the midfielder will be a Spurs player next season, but Frank did not rule out the former Brighton man featuring under him before then.
"Not before, not now, not at all. Train well and everyone has an opportunity.”
Bissouma is currently out with an injury he picked up in training ahead of the opening Premier League match of the season against Burnley.
That has meant he is yet to featured in a competitive match under Frank, but he has returned to individual training on the grass as he steps up his recovery.
“I think, to be fair, he has just started to run outside, so he is not part of the group," Frank said.
"But everything I have seen when I’ve said hello to him and every day with the players, he seems good."
On when he could be back to fitness and in contention to make the Spurs squad, Frank added: “That I actually don’t know. The players available now are the players I have available.
Tottenham are expected to name a strong side for their Premier League clash with Brighton today.
It has been a busy week for Spurs, who beat West Ham last weekend and then backed it up by seeing off Villarreal in a 1-0 win to start their Champions League campaign on Tuesday.
However, with many of the first team likely to be rested for the midweek Carabao Cup clash with third-tier Doncaster, Thomas Frank could opt to stick with a fairly similar side for the third time in a week.
The Spurs boss, though, will be tempted to make a change in midfield.
Joao Palhinha started on the bench against Villarreal but made a significant impact when coming on to help Spurs hold on for victory, and there is every chance he comes into the starting team here.
Xavi Simons has started both his appearances for Tottenham so far on the left wing, which Frank has put down to wanting to keep a settled midfield providing the structure for the team.
The Dutchman could therefore continue out wide, with Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr both in strong form and Frank keen on the reliability the pair offer at both ends of the pitch.
There is the potential for things to be freshened up at full-back. Djed Spence has started every match so far this season, but struggled against Villarreal and Destiny Udogie is pushing to earn his first start of the campaign.
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Joao Palhinha came off the bench and immediately elevated his team
In charge: Thomas Frank
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Job done and that was about it.
Tottenham are back in the Champions League after 923 days and a 1-0 win over Villarreal was enough to pick up an opening win.
That goal came when Luiz Junior spilled a cross into his own net inside four minutes. From there, Spurs opted for containment rather than push for another goal. There were some nervy moments and some frustrated supporters, but Thomas Frank's side are up and running with a victory.
Frank-ball too pragmatic?
It is not necessarily thrill-a-minute, but Spurs' approach earned them an Champions League win and provided the blueprint of what can be expected over the coming weeks and months in Europe.
Spurs were very cautious and that will take some adjusting to for supporters who had grown accustomed to the swashbuckling approach that defined Ange Postecoglou.
Favourite: Thomas Frank
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The trade-off, of course, is that there was little to trouble the Villarreal defence after the early own goal. It led to a fairly muted atmosphere, Spurs fans having notmuch to engage with beyond a few frustrating decisions from the referee.
There were occasions when the home side could have committed numbers forward on the break, but on most occasions, Spurs turned back and played the safe pass, even when it frustrated the supporters.
Spurs backed themselves to hold on. Not pushing for a second goal does leave them vulnerable to a mistake or moment of magic from the opposition, but Frank will feel the pragmatic approach is the best bet for success in Europe. Time will tell if he is right.
Simons leaves Spurs fans waiting
Again Frank opted to start Simons on the left wing and again he offered only glimpses of what he can offer.
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That is to be expected so soon in his Spurs career, but it does raise the question of how Frank uses the Dutchman in upcoming matches.
Simons' best moments came in the first half when he drifted inside and found himself in a central position. He fired a rising effort just over the bar and another one whistled just wide.
Slow start: Xavi Simons
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There were some better signs for his partnership with Djed Spence, a couple of nice backheels finding the full-back on the overlap, but overall it was another quiet display. Frank must be tempted to shift him into the No10 role.
Simons was fortunate not to have been sent off, too. After picking up a first-half booking for standing on Santiago Mourino's foot, Simons swiped Nicolas Pepe's legs from under him to stop a Villarreal counter after the break.
It should have been a second yellow card in what would have been a disastrous European debut. Instead, he was replaced with 15 minutes having hardly had a kick in the second half.
Palhinha shows significance
There is an argument that Joao Palhinha was Spurs' best player on the night and he only played 20 minutes.
He was replaced in the starting lineup by Rodrigo Bentancur and in his absence Spurs were far less stable in midfield, particularly after the break.
Not helped by some incredibly slack Spurs passing, Villarreal were able to run at the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, and the hosts were losing the battle in the middle of the pitch.
Impact: Joao Palhinha
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That was clear to Frank and he turned to Palhinha, who had an immediate impact. He snapped into challenges and won the ball back high up the pitch, then playing it out wide for Mohammed Kudus and his cross very nearly picked out Richarlison at the back post.
Palhinha's influence was key right through into stoppage-time, when he charged back and committed a timely foul to stop Villarreal on the counter and allow Spurs to get back.
His cameo will give Frank real doubts about leaving Palhinha out of the starting lineup again, particularly in the Champions League.
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