Brighton stun Spurs with 4-2 victory at home

Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a stunning performance to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at the American Express Community Stadium on Thursday, December 28, 2023. The hosts scored four goals in a thrilling second half, with Joao Pedro netting a brace and Jack Hinshelwood and Pervis Estupinan also getting on the scoresheet. Spurs could only manage two consolation goals from Ben Davies and Alejo Veliz, as they suffered their fifth defeat of the season.

The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. Spurs had more possession and shots, but Brighton defended well and kept them at bay. The best opportunity of the half fell to Dejan Kulusevski, who forced a good save from Jason Steele with a low shot from the edge of the box.

The game burst into life in the second half, as Brighton took the lead in the 37th minute. Joao Pedro, who had been lively throughout, latched on to a long ball from Pascal Groß and lobbed it over the advancing Guglielmo Vicario. The goal sparked a flurry of action, as Brighton scored three more goals in the next 20 minutes.

Hinshelwood doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, when he headed in a corner from Facundo Buonanotte. Estupinan made it 3-0 in the 45th minute, when he volleyed in a cross from Simon Adingra. Joao Pedro completed his brace in the 74th minute, when he converted a penalty after being fouled by Eric Dier.

Spurs tried to mount a comeback, but it was too little, too late. Davies pulled one back in the 84th minute, when he headed in a free-kick from Rodrigo Bentancur. Veliz scored another in the 80th minute, when he slotted in a pass from Dejan Kulusevski. However, Brighton held on to secure a memorable win and move up to ninth place in the table. Spurs remained fourth, but saw their gap to the top three widen.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi praised his team for their performance and said they deserved the win. He said: “I’m very happy and proud of the players. They showed great character and quality. We played with courage and intensity. We scored some fantastic goals and defended well. We knew Spurs were a strong team, but we were not afraid of them. We played our game and we deserved the win.”

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou admitted his team were poor and said they needed to improve. He said: “I’m very disappointed and frustrated. We were not good enough today. We were slow and sloppy. We conceded some cheap goals and we did not create enough chances. We need to improve a lot. We need to work harder and smarter. We need to show more passion and desire. We need to bounce back quickly.”

The match was watched by 31,144 fans at the American Express Community Stadium, who witnessed one of the most exciting games of the season. The match was also broadcast live on ESPN (UK), where viewers could follow the live score, highlights and updated stats. The match was also covered by various websites and news outlets, such as Premier League, Sofascore, and ESPN.