Tottenham fight back from two goals down to draw at Brighton

BRIGHTON, England – Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, avoiding a third successive away defeat in the fixture and extending their unbeaten away run under new manager Thomas Frank.

Yankuba Minteh gave Brighton an early lead against the run of play, latching onto Georginio Rutter’s pass before rounding goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and finishing calmly. The hosts doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Yasin Ayari intercepted Lucas Bergvall in midfield and curled a long-range shot that deceived Vicario, leaving Spurs with work to do despite dominating possession.

Tottenham halved the deficit just before halftime. Mohammed Kudus’ shot was blocked in the box, and Richarlison reacted quickly to stab the loose ball past Bart Verbruggen for his third league goal of the campaign. The goal shifted momentum firmly in the visitors’ favour, and Frank introduced new signing Xavi Simons early in the second half in search of further impetus.

Simons provided a spark, testing Verbruggen with a low drive and later firing narrowly wide, as Spurs applied sustained pressure. Brighton nearly restored their two-goal cushion when Ayari tried his luck from distance again, only for his shot to flash past the post.

The equaliser arrived with nine minutes left. Simons combined with Kudus down the right, and the Ghanaian’s dangerous cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Jan Paul van Hecke, sending the travelling supporters into celebration. Tottenham pressed for a winner but Brighton held firm to secure a point.

The draw leaves Brighton with just five points from their opening five matches, their search for a first home win of the season continuing. Tottenham, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in three away games under Frank, who will take encouragement from the resilience shown by his side.

Player of the Match: Xavi Simons
The Dutch midfielder, making his league debut for Spurs, shifted the game’s momentum after coming on in the second half, creating the equaliser and driving much of the visitors’ attacking play.