Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Tottenham 2: Kane on target as Spurs issue firm response
September 22, 2018 18:57 MYT
Harry Kane scored a much-needed goal as a relieved Tottenham ended their three-match losing run with a gritty 2-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Glenn Murray's handball from a Kieran Trippier free-kick enabled Kane to convert a first-half penalty before Erik Lamela notched late to help Spurs exorcise some of the demons of their late midweek loss to Inter in the Champions League.
Mauricio Pochettino called for his side to show fight in the aftermath of that worrying collapse and, though Anthony Knockaert reduced the deficit in the third minute of added time, he will have been heartened by the resilient response amid grim conditions at Amex Stadium.
While far from their fluid best, the visitors withstood Brighton's spell of second-half pressure for long enough to move on from the worst sequence of Pochettino's spell in charge, Kane's spot-kick setting the platform before Lamela notched what proved the winner in the 76th minute.
Toby Alderweireld, surprisingly overlooked alongside Trippier against Inter, almost broke the deadlock early in proceedings, Mat Ryan sharply saving his near-post header.
Trippier supplied the corner on that occasion and it was another of his set-pieces, this time from a free-kick, that did create the 42nd-minute opener.
Murray blocked the attempt with his arm and Kane was sent to the spot to emphatically dispatch his first goal in four appearances.
Brighton stepped up the pressure after the interval and would have equalised but for a poor Knockaert finish in a one-on-one with Paulo Gazzaniga, Spurs' third-choice shot-stopper ably deputising for injured pair Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm.
Lamela made the reprieve count by sweeping home a Danny Rose cross and, though Knockaert went some way to atoning for his earlier miss with a tidy finish at the death, it was too late to deny Tottenham a response to the critics.
Pressure had been piled on Tottenham following their brittle display against Inter and even manager Pochettino was quick to call out his team's stomach for the fight.
Here, though, they answered questions over their mental fortitude, professionally navigating what loomed as a banana skin fixture.
Mousa Dembele has filled various roles this season to differing degrees of success but, against Brighton, the midfielder looked supremely comfortable. Tidy on the ball with a commendable work ethic, he was instrumental to securing three points.
Murray's action late in the first half may have been one of self-preservation, but it had significant consequences for the Seagulls.
The striker was squarely the culprit for giving away a penalty that put Chris Hughton's men behind the eight ball.
Tottenham remain on the road with a chance to build on this victory as they visit struggling Huddersfield Town next Saturday, the same day Brighton have a tough trip to Manchester City.