Media Review: Tottenham Hotspur

Defeat in Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge may have been a disappointment, but the the Sunday papers contained plenty of praise for Albion’s contributions to the match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Pivotal incidents, individual performances and the general play of the team all got good write-ups from different writers. In the Sunday Telegraph, for example, Jim White wrote that “against an increasingly ambitious Brighton team, Harry Kane’s smartly taken first-half header delivered the points that allowed them to remain in third place.

“Mind, it wasn’t easy: the fact is, for much of the second half they defended the lead as if their lives depended on it. Brighton, unbeaten in their previous seven outings at the Amex, were quick to seek parity. A lovely move broke down after too many dummies ceded possession. Lewis Dunk headed just over from a corner, Solly March fired narrowly wide and both Moises Caicedo and Danny Welbeck had smart shots saved by Hugo Lloris.

“In fact it was a fine first half, full of endeavour and flourish. But there were Italians in the respective dug outs. And it was Conte who would have been more satisfied with his team’s shape and discipline.

“De Zerbi sent on Adam Lallana in an attempt to craft a way through the insistent Tottenham chokehold of midfield. Perhaps there was too much craft going on: more than one Brighton attack broke down after an abundance of backheels, flicks and dummies. Welbeck tried to go the old fashioned way of simply charging forward. But whenever he did there were always Tottenham players in the way.”

Matt Barlow of the Mail on Sunday also found plenty to appreciate in Albion’s display. “Once behind, Brighton stirred into action. Until then, in Roberto de Zerbi’s first home game in charge, they had been limited to a couple of brisk attacking moves and a Danny Welbeck shot, flashed low across goal and wide from an angle.

“They finished the first half with an excellent spell of pressure, however, and a cluster of chances. Hugo Lloris made saves to deny Moises Caceido and Welbeck, and Solly March fizzed a shot wide from just outside the penalty area.

“Lewis Dunk also went close, climbing high on six yards to meet a corner and connect with a powerful header. It was only a couple of inches too high but Dunk grimaced as if he thought he ought to have hit the target.

“Brighton continued to press forward, urged on by their supporters. It is a measure of their progress under Graham Potter that they expect to compete with teams such as Tottenham. Here, they were not about to accept defeat easily but Conte’s team can be dangerous when ahead against a team taking risks. It made for an absorbing second half. Lloris was required to leave his goal and make a brave save at the feet of Brighton substitute Kaoru Mitoma. In the end one goal was enough.”

Tom Barclay of the Sun on Sunday knows both teams well. Albion were once part of his south-east patch before he took over the Spurs beat from the late, great Paul Jiggins. Albion, he wrote, “suggested last week in their 3-3 draw at Liverpool that they love possession just as much under new boss Roberto de Zerbi as under predecessor Graham Potter.

“De Zerbi tipped Danny Welbeck for a shock England recall last month despite the veteran forward failing to net at all this term. Welbeck was almost off the mark when taking on a shot from a tight angle, first time, but fired just the wrong side of the post.

“Kane, the man Welbeck would be competing with were he to force his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans, then was rightly booked for a deliberate handball which the locals were having none of.

“Yet Spurs carried a threat they lacked in Germany in midweek and Robert Sanchez had to use all of his 6ft 6ins frame to keep out a Rodrigo Bentancur strike heading for the far corner.

“Brighton pushed until the end but could not get past Spurs’ series of last-ditch tackles, with Kane, the man of the moment after Erling Haaland, among those putting their bodies on the line.”

In The Observer, Simon Mail noted that “the former Sassuolo manager [De Zerbi] failed to defeat a team coached by Antonio Conte in four Serie A matches and his Italian compatriot once again had the upper hand, with Harry Kane’s deft first-half header settling the contest.

“For Brighton, it was a frustrating introduction for De Zerbi at the Amex Stadium with his team failing to reproduce the exhilarating football that gave Liverpool huge problems last week.

Ryan Taylor – a graduate of the University of Brighton’s sports journalism degree course – praised the late impact of an Albion on the Sunday Express website. “There is something rather exciting about Brighton's Japanese starlet Kaoru Mitoma, who was sent on loan to Tony Bloom's Belgian side Union SG last season,” he wrote.

“He was once again a real bright spark from the bench when he entered the fray in the second half, going on one brilliant mazy run that wreaked havoc amongst the Tottenham defence. Mitoma was excellent last week too when he roasted Trent Alexander-Arnold on the far side of the Anfield turf, having a big hand in Leandro Trossard's hat-trick goal.

“The jet-heeled winger loves to run at players and every time he gets the ball, it looks like something could happen. If Brighton can utilise his skillset more efficiently, he could be another astute signing for the Seagulls.

“He already has five goals in nine outings for Japan and looks set to feature at November's World Cup, which will only boost his confidence levels.”

In the Sunday Times, Tom Allnut wrote that “A De Zerbi banner fluttered over the North Stand before kick-off and the Italian kept the same side that drew 3-3 at Anfield last weekend. Brighton will be entertaining under him this season and while they need to find some punch up front, some of his chief mantras are already visible [sic]. 

“Lewis Dunk seemed to turn to the gasping Brighton fans at one point in the first half, calling for calm after more high-risk passing at the back. The biggest cheer from the home crowd came when Kane was booked, the striker guiding the ball into his path with his hand, but not fooling the referee.”

Gary Rose also expects entertainment from the new head coach, writing on the BBC website that “the Seagulls had been crafted into an enjoyable team to watch by Graham Potter and De Zerbi has picked up from that while adding his own influence.

“Although they were not quite as direct and attacking as they were in the early stages of the Liverpool game, they nevertheless impressed once more against a Tottenham side that has started this season very well.

“Brighton built possession well, working the ball from left to right to try and pull Tottenham out of shape and they could have had a goal but for better finishing. The defeat ended their unbeaten run at home but there's a clear sign of how De Zerbi wants to play that will be encouraging for Brighton fans.”