Brighton 0-1 Spurs: Mitoma ratings make case for start
Is it time for Kaoru Mitoma? If our Brighton 0-1 Spurs player ratings are anything to go by, then that will be one of the biggest questions for Roberto De Zerbi to wrestle with ahead of Friday night’s trip to Brentford.
Mitoma was afforded around half an hour in the defeat to Tottenham. He produced another lively cameo, leaving Spurs looking worried as the Albion sought to find a second half equaliser to cancel out Harry Kane’s 22nd minute opener.
It was enough for Mitoma to top a set of WAB Player Ratings for the first time since his summer arrival. The clamour for him to be given a full Premier League debut is growing.
Mitoma aside, it was a good evening for Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman and Alexis Mac Allister. They were the only other players to score a 7 or above in the Brighton 0-1 Spurs ratings.
Dunk and Veltman’s scores reflect the job the defence had to do with Tottenham well on top in the opening 20 minutes. Mac Allister’s is a reminder of just how important he has become, especially since the sale of Yves Bissouma.
Speaking of whom, has anyone worked out yet why he put in an out-of-character horror tackle on Mac Allister? The boos that greeted Bissouma being subbed were deserved for that moment.
Here are your Brighton 0-1 Spurs ratings.
Robert Sanchez – 6.92
Really good save from Rodrigo Bentancur and did well to keep out a Song Heung-min free kick. His workload lessened after that opening 20 minute spell as Spurs became less inclined to attack once they had taken the lead.
Joel Veltman – 7.15
Was very angry when he picked up a booking. Had to bear rather a lot of defensive responsibility, especially in the second half when the visitors opted to counter rather than try and force the issue.
Lewis Dunk – 7.31
It says a lot about the quality of Kane that Dunk always gives him a real game and yet the England captain still ends up scoring every time he plays Brighton. Dunk made one superb challenge on Son prevented Spurs doubling their lead.
Adam Webster – 6.00
This seems like a rather harsh score. Did some decent stuff defensively whilst also attempting to stride forward and help create something in attack.
Solly March – 6.69
First half good, second half not so good as the great Sven-Goran Eriksson used to say. A lively presence when Brighton enjoyed their best spell after falling behind. Might have done better with an effort dragged wide, highlighting again the need for improvement in his finishing. Something for De Zerbi to work on.
Moises Caicedo – 6.23
Antonio Conte deploying three central midfielders left Brighton overrun at the start. Caicedo seemed particularly impacted as he struggled to get involved. It is the first time in his Albion career that has been the case, so hopefully he learns from the experience.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7.00
Spurs had clearly done their homework and identified that preventing Mac Allister dictating play is a good way to stop Brighton. Still managed to use the ball but nowhere near as influential because of the close attention he was paid.
Pervis Estupinan – 6.23
The answer to the difficult question of who Mitoma replaces might be Estupinan, providing De Zerbi has enough trust in Mitoman’s defensive play. Estupinan did some nice things on the left but more was needed.
Pascal Gross – 5.92
One pass to release Danny Welbeck was sublime. He though seems to be going through a bit of a lull in form. The good thing is we know that these periods never last long.
Danny Welbeck – 6.38
We wrote last week that Welbeck is about so much more than goals – so even if he isn’t scoring, he should remain one of the first names on the team sheet. It was frustrating to see him miss three good chances but again he created opportunities for others which should have been taken.
Leandro Trossard – 6.00
After the Lord Mayor’s Show following his hat-trick heroics at Liverpool, which is partly because he has now set his standards so high. Still produced some nice touches.
KAORU MITOMA – 7.46
Positive when he came on, running at Spurs. They did not like his pace, skill or directness one bit. His best run was thwarted by Hugo Lloris diving at his feet when a goal looked a real possibility. A Premier League start cannot be far away.
The WAB Player Ratings are formulated using marks out of 10 given by Brighton fans via Twitter. To have your scores included, follow We Are Brighton on Twitter and look out for the player rating thread after each game.
