Tottenham Hotspur experienced a rollercoaster ride that took a downturn in their match against Brighton. Having led 2-0 in the first half, Ange Postecoglou’s team faced a decline in the second. The Spurs conceded three goals within 16 minutes and appeared unable to recuperate following Danny Welbeck’s decisive goal in the 66th minute. The game’s aftermath saw many assigning blame.

Ange Postecoglou says the lead got to the Tottenham players.

It was a shocking display from Spurs after the show they put on before going into the break. The Lilywhites were caught lacking and completely ripped apart in minutes. Speaking in the aftermath of the second half, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou spoke to the BBC media saying:

“We probably should have put it to bed in the first half. What we did in that second half is unacceptable and we got what we deserved.”

“Maybe we just thought we’d roll out there and play well again and that’s not how it works and we paid for it.”

This clearly states that even Postecoglou thinks the lead got into the heads of Spurs players in the second half. They couldn’t maintain the composure needed to see the game through and fell apart defensively to top it. Talking about the quick goals conceded and unattended defence, the Argentine added:

“We’ve conceded before but it is how you react and our reaction wasn’t what it should be. It’s a bad day for us and when it’s a bad day the responsibility falls at my feet.”

Brighton had an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.17 to Spurs’ 0.42 in the second half. This tells you not only they could produce anything point-worthy upfront, but they failed to hold their lines all along.

Interestingly, Spurs had more possession (61%) in the second period than they had in the first. However, they failed to create a single big chance to show anything for it. The defence was caught lacking after returning 2-0 up on the pitch.   

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Not a lot has gone wrong for Tottenham this season. After thrashing Manchester United 3-0 away, this would possibly be their worst night so far. Spurs have fallen to ninth place after their defeat, while Brighton has risen to sixth. They aim to recover as they go up against West Ham United and Crystal Palace in the Premier League following the International break.