Tottenham 2-1 Brighton: Tottenham Player Ratings

A resurgent Tottenham side came from behind to defeat Brighton 2-1 to go fifth in the league, 3 points off Chelsea. Spurs started from where they left off against Chelsea – a listless performance in the first half.

Harry Kane thought he had given his side the lead only for the goal to be ruled out for being marginally offside. Instead, it was Brighton who took the lead through Adam Webster, who took advantage of some lacklustre defending to put Brighton ahead.

Spurs came out fighting in the second half and were lucky not to concede again when Aaron Connolly missed a great chance to score his third goal of the season.

Tottenham equalized in the 53rd minute when Harry Kane scored from the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Matt Ryan.

Buoyed by the equalizer, Spurs surged forward in search of the second goal. Their efforts paid off in the 72nd minute when substitute Christian Eriksen put the ball through to an overlapping Serge Aurier, who set up Dele Alli.

Brighton tried to hit back through Pascal Gross and Aaron Mooy, who both had shots from distance. Thankfully, it was not to be as Spurs held on for what can be an important win in the race to finish in the top-4.

We maintain our impressive Boxing day record, having not lost on the day since 2003 and next play bottom-placed Norwich on 28th December.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Paulo Gazzaniga (7/10)

Kept things simple and did not lose his head like he did against Chelsea. There was nothing he could have done to stop Webster’s header. Did well to prevent Gross twice in the second half.

Serge Aurier (7/10)

Better in attack than in defence. Provided the assist for Alli’s winner with a well-timed run to get in behind the Brighton defence. One of his better performances.

Toby Alderweireld (6/10)

Should have done better against Webster and was outjumped for the Brighton goal. Tried to play out from the back as Spurs chased the game in the first half.

Davinson Sanchez (6/10)

Didn’t do much wrong and was solid in defence. His distribution, however, leaves much to be desired.

Jan Vertonghen (6/10)

Solid in defence. Took too much time on the ball and tried to play out from the back without much success.

Harry Winks (4/10)

Looked to have set up Kane to give Spurs the lead, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside. Poor performance from the midfielder who lacked any sort of impact otherwise.

Came off for Eriksen in the 68th minute. Picked up a booking in the first half, which rules him out of the match against Norwich.

Moussa Sissoko (5/10)

Another player who will be suspended for the game against Norwich after picking up a needless booking. Was wasteful in the first half and gave away possession often. His passing let him down and his decision making needs work.

Dele Alli (6/10)

A quiet first half but came alive in the second with a number of runs into the box. He took the goal with composure and nearly grabbed another late on, only for Ryan to push his shot over. Continued his goal-scoring run under Mourinho with his 5th goal since the Portuguese’s arrival.

Ryan Sessegnon (5/10)

Started off brightly but faded as the game went by. Hit the post with an effort that was ruled offside and also went close at the back post from Kane’s cross. Came off in the 56th minute for Giovani Lo Celso.

Lucas Moura (7/10)

Was largely quiet in the first half but came to life after the break. He dropped deeper to win the ball and tried his best to start off the attacks. A nuisance for the Brighton defence and was one of Spurs’ best players on the night. Substituted in the 76th minute for Eric Dier as Spurs tried to see out the match.

Harry Kane (7.5/10)

Tottenham’s best player of the night. He continued his brilliant record of scoring on Boxing day for the fifth straight year. With his 8th Boxing Day goal, he is now only a goal behind Robbie Fowler in the race to the most goals scored.

Worked hard for his team and held the ball up well. Also had a goal ruled out in the first half for offside.

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Substitutes

Giovani Lo Celso (6/10)

A better performance from the Argentine than we have seen of late. Kept the ball moving and played deeper, allowing Eriksen to push forward.

Christian Eriksen (7/10)

Threaded the ball across to Aurier, who then assisted Alli for the winner. Almost got himself a goal late on in an impactful substitute appearance.

Eric Dier (6/10)

Replaced Moura as Spurs looked to see out the game. Reinforced the midfield and kept it simple. Did his job.