SPURS SNEAK IT AT THE DEATH
Johnson hits last-gasp winner but Ange blasts complacency
ANGE Postecoglou has waited months for a chance to unleash his full repertoire of attacking options and when he did, they delivered him a breathless victory in the sixth minute of added time.
Brennan Johnson hit the winner, hurtling into the penalty area to complete a sweeping counter-attack move featuring James Maddison, Richarlison and an inviting low cross by Son Heung-min.
‘We just about probably deserved it in the end,’ said Postecoglou, but he admitted his team were second best in the first half and accused them of complacency.
‘We took a few liberties with our football, our effort and our workrate, a few things we have been really good at this year we just didn’t do.
‘Maybe we were guilty of thinking we could roll out there, because we’ve got a strong squad, but Brighton are a good side.’
Pascal Gross fired the visitors into a first-half lead from the penalty spot before Spurs fought back and Pape Matar Sarr equalised in the 61st minute.
Brighton created the better of the chances of a frenetic final third of the game, but substitutes Son and Johnson combined for the decisive moment and lifted Spurs back into the top four.
‘We were worried about fatigue,’ said Postecoglou, when asked why Son did not start on his return from international duty with South Korea at the Asian Cup. ‘Two of his games went to extra time and his last game was draining. That we had options meant we could protect him.
‘That ball he plays might look simple but that’s a world-class player finding the right pass in a clutch moment. We did well to cover his absence but to have a world-class player back for the run-in is brilliant for us.’
Brighton tore Spurs apart at the
Amex Stadium in late December and set off as if determined to do the same again. Less than a minute had passed when Guglielmo Vicario made a flying save to deny Danny Welbeck.
It was the type of chance to illustrate Tottenham’s frailties. Welbeck pounced on a slip by Micky van de Ven on halfway, advanced and side-stepped Rodrigo Bentancur as he came sliding by on a desperate mission to recover.
Brighton’s penalty came when Bentancur lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area. Gross took it from him and Van de Ven tripped Welbeck.
With penalty expert Joao Pedro out injured, Gross stepped up and sent Vicario the wrong way.
Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi was absent, serving a touchline ban and watching from home in Italy after dental surgery.
He might have been struggling to smile, even before Johnson’s goal but he kept in touch with his staff on the touchline and made the calls for substitutions. After going behind, Spurs dominated but found it difficult to find a way past Jason Steele, who produced fine saves to frustrate Richarlison, released by a wonderful Maddison pass, and then Dejan Kulusevksi.
Maddison went close with a curling shot and Richarlison turned another wide at the near post as he met a low cross by Timo Werner. And the visitors remained dangerous on the break.
Vicario produced another crucial save to prevent Kaoru Mitoma making it 2-0. Mitoma, in his first appearance since Christmas after injury and international duty with Japan at the Asian Cup, raced onto a pass from Adam Lallana but could not beat the Spurs keeper from a tight angle.
Lallana became embroiled in the first half in a personal dispute with Cristian Romero, who took the former England midfielder out twice in quick succession. The second occasion, an off-the-ball body-check angered Lallana.
Brighton protected their lead but Tottenham’s pressure told. Kulusevski released Sarr who charged into the area and tried to cut a pass square across goal for Richarlison.
Lewis Dunk slid in and intercepted, diverting the ball against a post and the rebound came back to Sarr, who tucked it into the net, his third goal of the season.
Spurs made changes but lost momentum once level and Brighton fought back, creating the better chances in the closing stages via the trickery of Mitoma on the left.
Ansu Fati turned one wide and Facundo Buonanotte had the other deflected wide and the visitors were throwing players forward when they were stunned on the break by Johnson.
‘To concede in the 96th minute, a goal in transition, away from home, is very tough,’ said De Zerbi’s assistant Andrea Maldera. ‘But this is our mentality and our identity. We don’t think to sit back in our own half.’