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Another game, another humiliation - Tottenham Hotspur's woeful week continued this weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Mauricio Pochettino's team got mercilessly hammered in midweek at home by Bayern Munich, and Spurs went into the game against Brighton seeking a reprieve. That was denied emphatically, as Graham Potter's men hit 3 goals past a hapless Spurs defence.
The party got started early on, thanks to an early gift from Hugo Lloris who dropped the ball, allowing Neal Maupay to score the opener in the 3rd minute. The Spurs goalie was then taken off due to a bizarre injury.
In the 32nd minute, Brighton doubled the advantage, as 19-year-old Aaron Connolly whipped in a rebound after his initial shot was poorly cleared by Spurs' Paulo Gazzaniga. He became Brighton's youngest Premier League scorer with that strike.
In the 65th minute, Connolly grabbed his brace, as he received a delightful pass from Lewis Dunk on the left and curled a shot beyond the reach of a bemused Gazzaniga. With this result, Spurs' barren run of away fixtures continues, as they haven't won away from home since January.
In this article, we highlight some of the standout performers, as well as the players who underperformed.
Poor: Hugo Lloris
Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris was taken off due to an arm injury, however, that injury was preceded by a howler from the Frenchman.
He misjudged a cross and had to let go of the ball in his goalmouth, right in front of the advancing Neal Maupay, who headed the ball home with just 3 minutes on the clock, kickstarting another woeful matchday for Spurs.
Impressed: Neal Maupay
Neal Maupay was one of the most impressive performers for Brighton on the day, as he continually troubled the Tottenham Hotspur backline. He had a couple of chances, and he also created a couple of chances for his teammates.
However, his most glaring contribution came in the 3rd minute, as he ruthlessly pounced on a Hugo Lloris blunder, heading the ball into the net and setting the narrative firmly in Brighton's favour. He also had a contribution of 3 shots - with 2 on target, as well as 2 key passes.
Poor: Paulo Gazzaniga
Paulo Gazzaniga came on for the injured Hugo Lloris. However, it was business as usual in the Tottenham Hotspur backline, as the Lilywhites succumbed to another goalkeeping howler in the 32nd minute of play.
Yes, it may seem slightly harsh to call it a howler, however, he should have done better with it. Aaron Connolly scored his first by pouncing on a rebound, as Gazzaniga blocked his first shot but pushed the ball back into play, gifting the 19-year-old another pop. At this level of football, such mistakes are more often than not brutally punished.
Impressive: Lewis Dunk
"We believe that we can beat sides like Tottenham. If we don’t, then there’s no point in us going out there. We’ll make sure we put in a performance to get us three points, and show the Premier League that we can beat these sides.”
- Lewis Dunk
Bold words from the Seagulls skipper, and in reality he backed up his words with a commendable individual performance. He was on his toes all game as he duelled with the likes of Harry Kane, repelling attack after attack. He had 10 clearances in the game, the most by any player.
His most telling contribution was a glorious assist in the 65th minute, as he played a precise through ball to Aaron Connolly from deep in the Brighton half, and the 19-year-old latched onto the pass to put the final nail in Spurs' coffin.
Impressive: Aaron Connolly
The 19-year-old stole the show against Mauricio Pochetino's Champions League finalists by building on a dazzling early start by Brighton, embellishing it with a brilliant brace.
In the 32nd minute, the youngster produced a clever shot off a cross from the left flank, but Tottenham Hotspur goalie Paulo Gazzaniga blocked the shot, spilling the ball onto his path once again, and the 19-year-old curled the ball into the far corner.
For his brace, he latched onto Lewis Dunk's brilliant pass from deep, rounded Toby Alderweireld in the Spurs defence, then whipped a low shot into the bottom corner and beyond the reach of a bewildered Gazzaniga.
The youngster tormented the Spurs defence all game, and had a total of 6 shots in the contest, with 3 on target. He also had 2 key passes in the encounter. Connolly was given the Man of the Match award at the end of the game.
