Match Preview: Boycott PPV for Spurs v Brighton
What are you expecting from Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton & Hove Albion? That seems like a good place to start this match preview, given that Brighton boss Graham Potter used his Spurs pre-game press conference to say that Seagulls supporters had too high expectations.
Firstly, we are not expecting to pay £15 for the second game running to watch Brighton on PPV. By boycotting last week’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, Brighton fans helped to raise nearly £4000 for the Brighton Foodbank with further money going to other foodbanks and charities across Sussex.
We are again asking all supporters not to pay to watch this Sunday’s 7.15pm kick off and instead please keep donating. Here is the link for the Brighton Foodbank.
As for the actual game, the good news for Potter is that most fans would answer his question about what they are expecting from Spurs away with not much.
If we cannot beat West Bromwich Albion at home or Crystal Palace away, then there seems little chance of taking something from a side who on their day can be one of the best in the Premier League.
Factor in the red-hot form that Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are in and put that up against a Brighton defence that cannot buy a clean sheet for love nor money at the moment and the Albion could be in for a long Sunday evening in North London.
Tottenham Hotspur this season
In a pretty crazy Premier League season, Spurs have been one of the most crazy teams results wise. They have been held at home by both Newcastle United and West Ham United – blowing a 3-0 lead with less than 10 minutes to play against the Hammers – but also gone and won 6-1 away at Manchester United.
If they could repeat their scintillating display at Old Trafford on a weekly basis, then they could be title challengers in a year in which the championship race looks more open than any other. But no team with ambitions of winning the league should be dropping points at home to Newcastle, West Ham – or Brighton for that matter.
The Albion’s chances of success at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will hinge on which version of Jose Mourinho’s side turn up. Whilst we have already said in the match preview that we aren’t expecting much from Spurs away, Brighton could yet nick a point if they play as they did against Chelsea and United and the hosts have one of their weird days.
Recent form
Tottenham’s disappointing home form is not just restricted to those two draws – they were also beaten 2-1 by Everton on the opening day. In fact, they are yet to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so far in 2020-21.
Aside from the 4-2 defeat at Everton, Brighton have been unbeaten on the road since the debacle of losing 3-1 at Plucky Little Bournemouth in January.
Potter’s Albion seem to enjoy playing away from the Amex – something we can now safely say has nothing to do with the presence of fans thanks to Brighton’s home form being equally woeful whether supporters are allowed or not.
A team with a poor home record against a team with a good away record. Perhaps an upset could be on the cards (don’t tell Graham).
Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton Head-to-Head
Spurs and Brighton first met in the Southern League back in 1903. There have been 34 meeting since then and unsurprisingly given the disparity in success of the two clubs, it is Tottenham who lead the head-to-head with 17 wins to the Albion’s nine with eight draws thrown in.
Brighton have a particularly terrible record away from home against Spurs, having only won one Football League game at White Hart Lane, Wembley or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That came in the 1981-82 season when Michael Robinson scored the only goal at the Lane to give Mike Bailey’s Albion a 1-0 success.
Brighton’s head-to-head record with Tottenham Hotspur
Last six meetings
• Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Brighton (Premier League, 26/12/19)
• Brighton 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, 05/10/19)
• Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Brighton (Premier League, 23/04/19)
• Brighton 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, 22/09/18)
• Brighton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, 17/04/18)
• Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Brighton (Premier League, 13/12/17)
Recent games between Brighton and Spurs have tended to be tight. Other than the Albion’s sensational 3-0 win at the Amex last October, there has never been more than one goal in it when both sides have fielded full strength sides.
The other result to buck that trend came in 2017 when Chris Hughton took the decision to make wholesale changes for the Wednesday night trip to Wembley, sacrificing the Spurs game in favour of trying to beat Burnley at the weekend.
Spurs won 2-0, although you good argue that game too was much closer than expected – especially with Ezequiel Schelotto looking like he won a cornflake competition to be a Premier League footballer for a day.
Team news
Potter said in his Spurs preview that Brighton have no fresh injury concerns, which leaves the Albion boss with the option of naming the same team which drew with West Brom.
Most fans would be expecting at least a couple of changes after such a disappointing home result, but Potter may be inclined to keep things as they were.
The first half against the Baggies was a decent enough performance. It was only in the second half when Potter decided to attempt to hold onto the 1-0 lead and start fiddling with formations and personnel that the game fell apart for the Albion. Those players deserve the chance to put things right.
Tottenham Hotspur’s danger men
Kane and Son were mentioned right at the start of our match preview and you really cannot look beyond them as the Spurs dangermen that Brighton have to find a way to keep quiet. They are the best strike partnership in the Premier League right now.
The betting value for Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton
Given that Spurs should probably win, there is not actually that much betting value to add to this match preview for Brighton & Hove Albion’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. We have therefore had to go for some out-of-the-box thinking.
Spurs’ record at defending set pieces so far this season is even worse than the Albion’s. One man who could profit from that is Adam Webster. He scored last time Brighton played away at Tottenham and is a best price 20/1 to notch anytime.
An interesting subplot
One of the most frustrating aspects about the draw with West Brom was that Danny Welbeck remained sat on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, even though Neal Maupay could not hit a cows arse with the proverbial banjo.
As an ex-Arsenal player of some distinction, imagine the reaction if Dat Guy Welbz notched his first Albion goal against Spurs of all teams. Get him on the pitch please, Potter.
A good WeAreBrighton.com memory of Tottenham Hotspur away
Spotting Casper Ankergren on the concourse of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium flanked by a couple of blonde women and holding two pints of beer when we lost 1-0 on our first visit there in April 2019.
The only thing that could have made the scene more Casper would have been him chain smoking Marlboro Lights. Presumably, ground regulations meant that this was not allowed.
A bad WeAreBrighton.com memory of Tottenham Hotspur away
Our League Cup visit in 2014 was not a great experience. Kick off was delayed due to crowd congestion so rather than use the additional 15 minutes to get into the ground in good time, the WAB team instead went to an off licence and polished off a couple of cans of Holsten each.
Not only did we therefore miss the start of the game despite having arrived in the vicinity of the ground 30 minutes earlier, but when we got in our seats were right at the top of the away end behind the police box which used to dangle down from the roof.
Half the pitch was obscured, leaving a view that was akin to watching a match through a letterbox. Even more distressing was that it prevented us appreciating the great Paddy McCourt on a rare start in Brighton colours.
Tottenham Hotspur’s most famous fan
Lord Sugar and Claude Littner. Nothing more to be said.
Prediction
Given Potter’s comments in the lead up to the game, we kind of feel like we should sign off this match preview with a prediction of Tottenham 8-0 Brighton so that we cannot be accused of being too expectant. Instead though, we will go for a 2-1 Spurs win.
