Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday evening when they make the trip to the Amex to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.
Spurs suffered a 3-1 loss to Arsenal in the North London derby last weekend, while Brighton played out a pulsating 3-3 draw with Liverpool in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game at the helm.
Graham Potter did such a terrific job at Brighton that it is going to be difficult for De Zerbi to improve on last season’s ninth-place finish in the Premier League, but the Italian will have been delighted with what he saw from his new side at Anfield last weekend.
The Seagulls were two goals ahead inside 17 minutes against Liverpool before the home side turned it around to lead 3-2 just past the hour, but Leandro Trossard completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute to secure a share of the spoils for the visitors, who might have been four goals ahead in a dominant start to the match.
A total of 14 points from seven matches has left Brighton in fourth position in the table, one point clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, and they have only lost once in the league this term, which came at Fulham at the end of August.
The Seagulls will be the fresher of the two teams due to Tottenham’s European commitments during the week, and a positive result on Saturday would lead them nicely into matches against Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
Brighton have actually won two of their last three Premier League games against Spurs, including a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in April, but the North London club recorded a 2-0 win in the corresponding game between the two sides last term.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have also made a strong start to the campaign, winning five, drawing two and losing one of their eight Premier League games to collect 17 points, which has left them third in the table.
Antonio Conte’s side have only won one of their last four games in all competitions, though, and they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby last weekend; Harry Kane’s penalty levelled the scores in the 31st minute, but the Gunners scored twice more through Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka.
Spurs were also in Champions League action on Tuesday evening, picking up a point in a goalless draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, which has left them in second spot in Group D on four points.
There are only three points separating fourth-placed Marseille from leaders Sporting Lisbon in a very tight group, and Conte’s team have a huge home fixture against Frankfurt next week before welcoming Sporting Lisbon and visiting Marseille in their final two group games.
Spurs will take on Everton, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Bournemouth in their four league matches after this one before beginning November with a trip to Liverpool, which will be their penultimate fixture before the season breaks for the 2022 World Cup.
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:
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Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):
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Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:
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We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton are a very tough proposition at the moment, and they have picked up seven points from their three home league games this term.
Tottenham, on the other hand, have won just one of their four top-flight fixtures on their travels, and we can see the two sides playing out an entertaining draw here.