Premier League news - Spurs return to winning ways with comeback against Brighton
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/12/2019 at 19:17 GMT
Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Kane 53 Alli 72) Brighton and Hove Albion 1 (Webster 37)
Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates
Image credit: Reuters
Harry Kane and Dele Alli scored second half goals as Tottenham came from behind to beat Brighton in the lunch time Boxing Day kick-off and close the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to three points.
Jose Mourinho made two changes from his side that lost 2-0 at home to Chelsea on Sunday, with Ryan Sessegnon replacing the suspended Heung-min Son while Harry Winks took the place of Eric Dier in midfield.
And it was Winks who played a delightful ball over the top for Harry Kane as Tottenham thought they had broken the deadlock, only for VAR to rule the England international marginally offside.
Brighton - who thrashed Spurs 3-0 in one of Mauricio Pochettino's final games - seemed to be buoyed by the hosts' disallowed goal and they found themselves ahead eight minutes before the interval through Adam Webster's bullet header.
Kane wouldn't be denied, however, and he levelled the scores in the 53rd minute, volleying home a rebound after Matt Ryan had made a good save initially. It was his eighth goal in just five Boxing Day appearances for Spurs.
After a first half in which they were too pedestrian-like, Spurs were much improved after the restart and in the 72nd minute Alli gave the hosts the lead after a fine team move involving substitute Christian Eriksen and Serge Aurier, guiding the ball past Ryan with a first time shot.
It was a lead they would hold onto comfortably to move up to fifth place ahead of Thursday's later games. Brighton remain 13th.
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Harry Kane (Tottenham) celebrates
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
A game of two halves: In the first half Tottenham were much too pedestrian-like, there were too many square passes in midfield and with Brighton's opener, their defence was exposed once again. It's now just one clean sheet in Mourinho's first 10 games as Spurs boss.
But after the restart it was much more like the Spurs of old. Inspired by Kane's fine equaliser, the brilliance of Lucas Moura and the introduction of Eriksen, there was much more pace and drive about their approach play, their interplay was promising and through Alli's fifth goal in seven games, Mourinho's men returned to winning ways.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Harry Kane (Tottenham): Tottenham's talisman worked hard, led by example and got Spurs back into the game.
PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Gazzaniga 6, Aurier 7, Sanchez 6, Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 6, Winks 7, Sissoko 5, Moura 8, Alli 7, Sessegnon 6, Kane 8.. subs: Dier 5, Lo Celso 6, Eriksen 7.
Brighton: Ryan 7, Schelotto 7, Webster 7, Duffy 6, Burn 7, Bernardo 6, Stephens 6, Mooy 7, Gross 7, Alzate 7, Connolly 5.. subs: Bissouma N/A, Trossard 5, Maupay 5.
KEY MOMENTS
24' - Goal ruled out! A wonderful ball over the top from Winks releases Kane, who times his run to perfection. Ryan is caught in no man's land and the England international side foots it home with aplomb. But wait, it's going to VAR... NO GOAL! VAR rules Kane offside. There must have only been centimetres in it.
37' - GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Brighton (Webster): This will count! Gross whips in a lovely free-kick, Webster rises like a salmon and powers it past the helpless Gazzaniga. Spurs' zonal-marking will be questioned.
49' - Chance! Brighton have a fantastic opportunity to double their lead - and it's far too easy. Mooy whips in a cross, finding the unmarked Connolly but he mistimes his jump and it comes off his shoulder rather than his head and loops high over the bar.
53' - GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 Brighton (Kane): Kane levels the scores! It's great persistence from Moura who squeezes through a crowd of players before the ball ricochets into the path of Kane. His volley is saved by Ryan but it falls fortuitously into Kane's path once more and he makes no mistake with the rebound.
72' - GOAL! Tottenham 2-1 Brighton (Alli): Spurs have turned it around! And it's a lovely team goal. Eriksen's exquisite ball to the back post is cut back by Aurier and Alli guides it first-time past Ryan to give Tottenham the lead for the first time in the match.
KEY STATS
- Adam Webster has scored as many goals in his 15 Premier League games this season (three) as he netted in 44 Championship matches for Bristol City last term. All three of his goals in 2019-20 have come away from home.
- Brighton are winless in their last 11 Boxing Day games (D4 L7) since a 1-0 win over QPR in 2005. Their two such games in the Premier League have ended in one defeat (vs Chelsea) and one draw (vs Arsenal).
- Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 14 top-flight Boxing Day games (W11 D3) since losing 0-2 at Portsmouth in 2003. Their last such home defeat was back in 1991 against Nottingham Forest (1-2).
- Kane has now scored 100 home goals in 172 appearances in all competitions at club level, with 90 of those coming for Tottenham (five for Millwall, three for Leyton Orient, two for Leicester City).
- Dele Alli has been directly involved in eight goals in eight appearances in all competitions under Jose Mourinho (five goals, three assists), more than any other Tottenham player since his first game in charge.
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