Spurs battle to a win against Brighton

Harry Kane scored the winner as Tottenham Hotspur boosted their Champions League hopes with a win at home to Brighton.

It was a feisty game before the whistle even blew with Roberto De Zerbi looking visibly annoyed in the pre-match handshake with Cristian Stellini.

But on the pitch, the game began with a superb opening goal. With 10 minutes gone, Son Heung-min cut onto his right foot and put in an inch-perfect curling effort that Jason Steele was never going to be able to get a glove to. It was quite a special way for the Korean to score his 100th Premier League goal.

The Seagulls looked to have equalised seven minutes later when Kaoru Mitoma received a long ball over the top, controlled it, and put it past Hugo Lloris. The referee, however, blew for handball, VAR checked it and although all the replays seemed to look as if the ball may have hit Mitoma's arm the decision wasn’t overturned.

Brighton were comfortably the best team in the first half and got a deserved equaliser in the 34th minute. A corner from the right back Solly March was whipped to the far post where Lewis Dunk was inexplicably left completely unmarked to head into the net.

The Seagulls had the ball in the net for a third time ten minutes after the restart. Danny Welbeck did well to find space in the area and let off a shot that was deflected in. However, the ball deflected in off the arm of Alexis Mac Allister and was then disallowed by VAR.

Not long after it all kicked off on the touchline with both teams’ coaching staff getting involved in a shoving contest. Referee Stuart Attwell decided to send off De Zerbi and Stellini – despite the latter having no involvement in the flare-up.

Perhaps the most controversial moment of the game came in the 71st minute when Pierre Hojbjerg looked to have fouled Mitoma in the area. Attwell didn’t give in and VAR didn’t think to intervene despite what looked like a fairly clear decision.

Considering how aggrieved Brighton were with the decisions going against them it was pretty obvious what would happen next. In the 79th Hojbjerg found space and pulled the ball back for Harry Kane to hammer his shot into the corner past Steele to make it 2-1. 

It certainly wasn’t a vintage Spurs performance and they rode their luck but it’s three important points as they look to keep up with Manchester United and Newcastle United. 

Overall, Brighton were the better team on the day but they will be rueing their bad luck today.

A HUGE WIN IN N17 🙌 pic.twitter.com/k948zd1yMh

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 8, 2023