The Media Review: Spurs fightback for point at the Amex

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

The media reflects on our entertaining draw with Spurs.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-09-21T09:50+01:00

Yankuba Minteh scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the draw with Tottenham. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

There was plenty of appreciation from the national media for the way that Albion had turned the clock back on visitors Tottenham in Saturday’s 2-2 draw.

Thomas Frank’s arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium had been hailed as ushering in a new era of defensive solidity. But Fabian Hurzeler’s men trebled the number of goals conceded by the visitors well before half time.

As The Sunday Telegraph pointed out, “Tottenham’s newfound reputation for keeping clean sheets did not survive the opening half hour. Brighton went two ahead in 31 minutes during which the rearguard resembled once again the one that had conceded 12 goals to yesterday’s opponents in their past four meetings.

“They could claim that Brighton’s first, as Yankuba Minteh strolled through the wide-open spaces where the defence should have been, was close to being offside. And the second was arguably a goalkeeping error as Yasin Ayari’s effort from range slipped through Vicario’s fingers.

Photo 1/25

A selection of images taken by our club photographers during the 2-2 on Saturday afternoon against Tottenham Hotspur at the American Express Stadium.

“But although the attack, which managed only a single shot on target against Villarreal on Tuesday, did better, Tottenham had Brighton on the ropes for the final hour of the match and could not land the knockout blow.”

Tom Barclay agreed in The Sun on Sunday, “Spurs went into this game boasting a rock-solid record of four clean sheets in Frank’s six games in charge. But this fixture normally means goals – usually against Tottenham – and today it was no different.

“Tottenham actually started the game pretty well. But then Frank’s side were completely undone by a blistering Brighton counter-attack.

“Minteh won the ball off Wilson Odobert and then was sent haring through thanks to Georginio Rutter’s ball in behind. The former Newcastle man just about managed to stay onside as he raced past Micky van de Ven and then showed impressive composure to round Guglielmo Vicario and tap home.

“It was an exhilarating goal which would have thrilled all those watching of a Brighton persuasion, including incoming sporting director Jason Ayto up in the stands.

“A defensive high line was a staple of Postecoglou’s time in charge of Spurs and it was back here too under Frank. And just like so many teams did to Postecoglou’s Tottenham team, Brighton were exploiting it as another ball over the top led to Rutter teeing up Ayari, whose blast was denied by Vicario.

“It was a decent stop by the Italian, yet his next attempt to repel an Ayari effort left a lot to be desired. Ayari had picked up possession after a poor Lucas Bergvall pass and let fly from outside the box.

“The young Swede hit it with a fair amount of velocity and venom, but Vicario should have done better as his weak hand to the ball failed to prevent it from crashing into the net.”

Yasin Ayari's thunderous drive put Albion 2-0 up against Spurs. 📷 by James Boardman.

John Brewin of The Guardian thought that “Brighton continue to be enigmatic; brilliant one minute, wasteful of opportunities and prone to the type of mishap that brought Tottenham’s equaliser the next. They were much improved from the previous week’s limp defeat at Bournemouth, benefiting from Fabian Hürzeler’s sweeping changes.

“Brighton scored from their first attack. The goal was almost wholly Minteh’s work in winning possession before racing to the return from Georginio Rutter. Brighton have often found goals hard to come by but Minteh coolly rounded Guglielmo Vicario. For Tottenham, heavy shades of the infamously malfunctioning Postecoglou high line.

“Richarlison, a considerable physical specimen himself, was outmuscled by Minteh, beginning a move that finished with Ayari forcing a save. It proved a dry run. After Lucas Bergvall, his Swedish international teammate, had clumsily coughed up possession, Ayari’s dipping shot caught out Vicario.”

According to Matt Barlow in The Mail on Sunday, “Brighton opened Tottenham up easily on the break in the first half.

Yankuba Minteh raced through on goal before rounding Vicario to put Albion in the lead. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“Brighton's opener was a classic counterattack, scored by Minteh bursting clear onto a pass by Georginio Rutter. It was very close to being offside.

“The second goal was a mistake by Guglielmo Vicario, who misjudged a sweet strike from an angle by Yasin Ayari, to compound a poor pass out of a defensive area by Lucas Bergvall.”

Tom Allnutt largely ignored the match action in his report for The Sunday Times but admitted that “at the end of a thrilling contest Brighton perhaps had more reason to be disappointed, after leading by two goals in the first half and then by one until the 82nd minute, when an own goal gave Spurs the equaliser.”

On the BBC Sport website, Gary Rose also considered what might have been: “Brighton impressively beat Manchester City in their previous home game and this game had the credentials for another eye-catching result against a side expected to also be battling for a top-four finish,” he wrote.

“They did not see much of the ball against Tottenham but their game plan was effective, looking dangerous on the break when such opportunities came.

“While Spurs fully deserved their equaliser, it ultimately came from a moment of misfortune from the Brighton defence.

“While they were eight minutes away from a very impressive win, the draw does continue their unbeaten form at home this season despite some tricky fixtures.

“It doesn't get any easier, with an away trip to Chelsea next up for the Seagulls in the Premier League.”