Tottenham Hotspur had an evening to forget on the South Coast on Sunday, falling to a 3-2 defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
The defeat came as a surprise given Ange Postecoglou’s side were 2-0 up at the break, but three goals in just 20 minutes secured what looked like an unlikely victory for the Seagulls.
After five wins in a row since the middle of September, the run came to a crashing halt, with work needing to be done over the upcoming international break to correct the embarrassing defeat.
There’s no denying Ange’s side demonstrated glimpses of quality during the first 45 minutes, but the capitulation will be alarming for the Aussie as they aim to secure Champions League football this season.
Too many players looked off the pace for Spurs during the second period, undoubtedly contributing to the outcome of the result at the full-time whistle.
Where it all went wrong for Spurs
After getting themselves two goals ahead at the interval, the hard work was already done by Postecoglou’s side, with game management needed to see the game through and secure a sixth successive win.
However, after Yankuba Minteh struck just minutes into the second 45, alarm bells were ringing throughout and Spurs’ soft underbelly once again reared its head.
Two goals in eight minutes from Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck secured the turnaround for Fabian Hurzeler’s side – with the Lilywhites looking fragile at the back after the hosts’ opener just minutes after the break.
From that point on, Postecoglou’s side offered very little in the final third, with Brighton closing them out – something which should’ve been done by Spurs after their early two-goal advantage.
Questions will undoubtedly be asked about the quality at the back throughout the 20-minute period which saw the visitors surrender their advantage with changes needed to prevent a repeat after the international break.
One player in particular contributed to the capitulation, with his performance undoubtedly below the standards expected of a defender in Postecoglou’s system.
The man who cost Ange all three points
Left-back Destiny Udogie has been a consistent performer for Spurs over the last 12 months, cementing the position as his own during Postecoglou’s reign.
However, Sunday evening was arguably one of his worst performances during his time in North London, failing to be in the right place for multiple of Brighton’s goals.
The Italian failed to clear the cross for the first effort, handing Minteh an unopposed opportunity in front of goal, before allowing Rutter to cut inside for the second.
The third came down his flank, with himself and Rodrigo Bentancur failing to deal with the ball, which saw the ball clipped into the 18-yard box handing Welbeck a free header, subsequently leading to writer Andrew Gaffney dubbing the Italian as “really, really poor.”
Minutes played
90
Touches
72
Passes completed
39/44 (88%)
Possession lost
10x
Fouls committed
1
Errors leading to goals
1
Dribbled past
1
Interceptions made
1
His stats from the defeat were just as disappointing, with Udogie giving the ball away ten times, whilst also being dribbled past once – resulting in a 3/10 match rating from Football London’s Alasdair Gold.
The international break has come at a good time for Spurs to allow them to regroup after the catastrophic defeat, with work needing to be done if they are to achieve their target of reaching the top four this season.
Whilst overall he’s been an excellent first-team member for the club, last night’s display was unacceptable by Udogie, with his lack of defensive awareness costing Ange’s side all three points.
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