Brighton 2-2 Tottenham match report, Mohammed Kudus shines in Spurs comeback

Tottenham Hotspur fought their way back from 2 goals down to get a point against Brighton at the Amex on Saturday.

Brighton away is never an easy fixture for Premier League teams, and Tottenham are no exception to that, as the stats tell. This time though, it turned into a proper rollercoaster as Thomas Frank’s side were forced to chase the game after conceding two poor goals in the first half.

However, Richarlison pulled one back before the break and then Spurs levelled late on when Jan Paul van Hecke put through his own net. In the end, the visitors will be pleased they managed to leave with something to show for their efforts.

Frank made three changes to the side that beat Villarreal 1-0 in midweek in the Champions League. Wilson Odobert, Joao Palhinha and Destiny Udogie came in for Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr and Djed Spence.

First half: Brighton 2-1 Tottenham

Tottenham started brightly with Thomas Frank trying out a new pairing down the left as Udogie and Odobert combined well in the early stages. The link-up gave Spurs some promising moments, but it was Brighton who landed the first real blow.

Against the run of play, the hosts broke quickly when Georginio Rutter slid a ball in behind for Yankuba Minteh. The winger raced clear, rounded Guglielmo Vicario and slotted home despite a VAR check for offside.

The setback didn’t kill Tottenham’s energy. If anything, they pushed higher and nearly equalised when Pedro Porro launched a pinpoint long ball into Richarlison’s path. The Brazilian took it down well but could only fire into the side netting from a tight angle.

But the danger of a high line soon reared its head. Spurs fans have seen this script before and it felt like a flashback to Angeball as Brighton exploited the space again and again. Vicario was forced into one stop from Rutter while Brajan Gruda blazed over, yet just past the half-hour mark Brighton doubled their lead.

A poor clearance from Lucas Bergvall fell for Yasin Ayari on the left. The midfielder had time to steady himself and take a shot towards the far corner. Vicario got a hand to it, but it wasn’t enough. 2-0 to Brighton, and questions will be asked of the Italian goalkeeper, who looked a bit slow to react.

However, Spurs found a response before halftime. Brighton handed the ball away in their own half and Tottenham pounced. After neat work involving Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus and Odobert, the ball broke to Richarlison. His first effort was blocked, but he bundled the loose ball in at the second attempt to give the visitors some hope as they entered the break 1 goal behind.

Second half: Brighton 0-1 Tottenham

Being 2-1 down felt far more manageable for Spurs. Having already breached Brighton once, there was real belief that the equaliser was there for the taking.

Tottenham started the second half strongly. Bergvall and Udogie combined to win a couple of corners but the deliveries came to nothing. For all their possession, the Seagulls still looked dangerous on the counter, though Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven stepped up with aggressive challenges that broke up much of the threat.

The real shift came just past the hour mark when Simons entered the game in his favoured number 10 role. He immediately made Spurs more threatening, testing Bart Verbruggen with a curling shot before dragging another decent chance wide.

Tottenham continued to push bodies forward, with Kudus, Bergvall, Simons and Porro whipping in crosses and cutbacks until one such effort finally paid off. Kudus, who had been lively all afternoon, cut onto his left and swung a cross into the box. Palhinha missed his header, the ball deflected off Van Hecke and into the net. Spurs were level at 2-2 with less than 10 minutes left.

From there, Tottenham dropped slightly deeper and looked to counter. Kudus was a constant trouble down the right, driving at Brighton defenders and keeping them pinned back. The home side had a spell of possession in the closing stages, though neither side finished their chances.

After five minutes of stoppage time, the points were shared at the Amex.

FT: BRIGHTON 2-2 TOTTENHAM

Spurs Web man of the match: Mohammed Kudus

What’s next for Spurs?

Thomas Frank’s men will feel they could’ve taken more from this game had they made at least one of their many chances count.

Mohammed Kudus was outstanding, assisting both goals, creating several openings and completing six dribbles, which was the most of any player on the pitch.

Lucas Bergvall, too, once again caught the eye with his relentless energy, covering every blade of grass even if he occasionally overdid it, like that one instance where he stole the ball away from Richarlison, who was in a better position to score. Regardless, he will definitely get better at it with time.

Destiny Udogie also impressed on his first Premier League start of the season with three key defensive interventions and 10 recoveries, giving Frank some serious decisions at full-back.

The draw keeps Tottenham in second place in the table, with Arsenal one point behind but holding a game in hand. Next up for Spurs is a Carabao Cup third-round fixture against League One side Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday night.