Brighton & Hove Albion will host Tottenham Hotspur at the Amex in the Premier League. In their final pre-Christmas match, the Seagulls were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace. Ange Postecoglou’s team narrowly defeated Everton 2-1.
Preview (Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Tottenham Hotspur)
The England striker made a crucial injury-time contribution against Leicester City during the Foxes’ 2015–16 title-winning campaign, so those who support Arsenal are already familiar with late Danny Welbeck headers. The 33-year-old accomplished the same feat at Selhurst Park last week. Although the circumstances were not as dramatic as they could have been, Welbeck’s intervention in the 82nd minute proved to be crucial. Before the Brighton player showcased his aerial skills, a header from Jordan Ayew put Palace on the verge of victory over their long-standing rivals in the so-called M23 derby.
A Selhurst Park point dropped Brighton to ninth in the standings due to a three-game loss. There was a significant improvement over their 2-0 loss to Arsenal. However, they were unable to fall any lower in the rankings before kickoff. De Zerbi and his coaching staff will be extremely relieved to have Europa League football back for a few months. The Seagulls have only won two Premier League games in their last 12 games.
Although a seven-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League gives them some confidence. The hosts have lost their last three games of the calendar year to London clubs. Their clean sheet-less run in the division also stands at an alarming 22 matches. Even yet, Sean Dyche’s inspired team was not going down without a fight. André Gomes helped cut the deficit. Tottenham prevailed at the end of regulation thanks to a late Arnaut Danjuma shot. It cannoned against the crossbar and Guglielmo Vicario before bouncing to safety. The freshly crowned Club World Cup champions still had a game in hand. Postecoglou saved special praise for number one Vicario as Spurs withstood an avalanche of Everton attempts.
Team News
Tricky winger Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton was injured at Selhurst Park around the eighty-three-minute mark. Although the extent of his injury is yet unknown, his limping out of the stadium raised suspicions of a long-term issue. In Brighton’s draw with Palace, neither Simon Adingra nor Carlos Baleba appeared for the second half of the match. However, De Zerbi made tactical substitutions, as he will undoubtedly be without Solly March (knee), Pervis Estupinan (thigh), Julio Enciso (knee), Joel Veltman (knee), Ansu Fati (thigh), Tariq Lamptey (thigh), and Adam Webster (unspecified).
If Mitoma does decide to sit this one out, the Seagulls’ assault should be bolstered by either Adam Lallana or Facundo Buonanotte. Regarding Tottenham, Richarlison and Cristian Romero were both unable to play the entire 90 minutes against Everton because of a painful back and a tight hamstring, respectively.
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
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