‘It was only fair’ - Potter happy to share the pain after a north London double
Leo Trossard 90
Brighton made another potentially decisive impact on the top-four race as they enjoyed more success in north London by beating Tottenham 1-0 thanks to Leandro Trossard’s 90th-minute goal.
A week after they beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to hand Spurs the initiative in the battle to qualify for the Champions League, they repeated the trick as Trossard weaved into the area and poked home.
It pegged Tottenham back in a race they looked to have control of and the Gunners, West Ham and Manchester United were all buoyed by this result ahead of their games later in the weekend.
After a brilliant run of form this was as bad a display as there has been under Antonio Conte and their failure to have a shot on target defies their free-flowing nature of recent weeks.
Brighton posted back-toback wins for the first time since September and it was thoroughly deserved as they contained Spurs’ threat well, moving into the top half. Albion head coach Graham Potter said: “The players were incredible, work rate and understanding and discipline. Everything you need to win at places like this because Tottenham are a top team. “We had good organisation and attitude to run and defend and be brave when we had the ball. It was no smash and grab, we tried to win the ball and push them back.
“We are playing against a number of world class players. We knew we had to be good and I thought we were today.
“You can see how difficult it is historically for Brighton and Hove Albion to win at Spurs. A great day for the club, three points a clean sheet and 40 points with six games to go.
“So not so bad considering it was Armageddon three matches ago.
“It was only fair we beat Tottenham after Arsenal,” quipped Potter when asked he his team has now had a major impact on the race for the top four. Having barged their way into the top four with some scintillating displays in recent weeks there was a real expectancy from the home fans before kickoff that their side could put on another show.
There was little action of note at either end in a drab opening 45 minutes and the biggest talking point was whether both sides should have got to half-time with 11 men still on the field.
Spurs winger Dejan Kulusevski was lucky to avoid a red card just before the half-hour mark as he appeared to swing an arm at Marc Cucurella in retaliation to being held. He received a yellow but it could easily have been another colour.
Then Enock Mwepu could have picked up a second yellow card right before halftime after a nasty challenge on Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg, with referee Craig Pawson instead deciding to give him a final warning and he was subsequently withdrawn at the interval.
Spurs continued to face problems as they struggled to open up the Seagulls, who carried their own threat at times.
But there was a sting in the tale as Brighton won the game at the death.
Spurs made a mess of clearing the ball, allowing
Trossard to burst into the area and poke into the far corner.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte said: “A difficult game, we knew this. I had seen them against Arsenal and we knew what could happen tactically. It was tactical game.
“I think a draw would have been the more fair final result, but Brighton won the game, so they deserved to win. We started very slowly and in this type of game you have to move the ball more quickly. Maybe the weather... I want to find an excuse, but it was not a good game for us.”