The absence of captain Son Heung-min (32) was clearly revealed. Tottenham Hotspur lost its balance and collapsed by giving up three consecutive runs in the second half.
Tottenham lost 2-3 against Brighton and Hove Albion in the seventh round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2024-2025 season at the American Express Stadium in Palmer, England, on the 7th (Korea time).
Captain Son Heung-min was excluded from the list as previously announced. He failed to return to the team after suffering a thigh injury against Carabac in the UEFA Europa League on Sunday. Instead, Tottenham listed Timo Werner (28) as its left flanker.
Coach Anze Postecoglou operated a 4-1-4-1 formation. Dominic Solanke was at the forefront, and Werner, James Maddison, Dejan Klusevski and Brennan Johnson formed the midfield. Rodrigo Bentancur was right in front of the defense. Destiny Udogi, Mickey van de Pen, Christian Romero and Pedro Porro were in the four-back. The goal was guarded by Gugliimo Vicario. With Son Heung-min absent, the captain’s armband was kicked by vice-captain Romero.
The atmosphere was good in the first half. Tottenham scored two goals in a row in the 37th minute to take a 2-0 lead.
In the 23rd minute, Johnson scored the first goal. He penetrated the door and finished the through pass for Solanke. Johnson scored his sixth goal in six consecutive official matches.
In the 37th minute, Madison gave Tottenham an additional score. In the counterattack, he cut the Brighton goal with a sharp right-footed kick. Werner scored the help. The first half ended with Tottenham leading 2-0.
That was it. Tottenham allowed its first run in the third minute of the second half. Yankuba Minte finished with a shot from the left side. Udo-ki made a mistake while trying to block the opponent’s pass. The ball hit the foot and fell exactly to Minte.
He even allowed an equalizer in the 13th minute. Giorino Lutheran penetrated the back space of Tottenham and aimed at the right corner of the goal with a sharp left-footed shot. It was Kaoru Mitoma’s first assist. 스포츠토토
Just eight minutes after the equalizer, he even contributed a come-from-behind goal. Danny Welbeck scored a header off a cross from the side. Tottenham led by two goals but quickly gave up three goals and collapsed.
Since then, Tottenham has tried Yves Bissouma, Pape Mata Sarr and Mikey Moore, but they failed to turn the game around in the end. Tottenham, which recorded two consecutive wins after Son Heung-min was absent, lost the third game with a keen sense of the captain’s absence.
“I’m disappointed and upset. It’s an unacceptable second half,” Tottenham manager Anze Postecoglou said after the match on Sky Sports. “If you go too far ahead, you can let your guard down. That’s what happened in the second half.” Postecoglou also expressed frustration, saying, “It was my worst defeat since I came to Tottenham.”
When asked if he misses Son Heung-min or Richie (Hishalisson), Postecoglou said, “(Today’s defeat) has nothing to do with his absence,” according to the British newspaper Football London. “If we want to participate in the best competition, we need to elevate the level. We couldn’t do that at all in the second half. It was a performance that should have been punished.”
Tottenham ranked ninth with three wins, one draw and three losses from seven matches. Meanwhile, the U.K. predicted Son’s return date at a Premier League match against West Ham United on March 19.
