Brighton & Hove Albion

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

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You find more cheer on Albert Square during Christmas Day than there was around the Amex Stadium at 5.30pm on Sunday evening.

The Albion trailed Spurs 2-0 at half time but it could and should have been more after another defensive shambles followed the previous weekend's 4-2 defeat at Chelsea.

"Embarrassing", "cricket score" and "Sami Hyypia" were all terms overheard during the interval. While the Hyypia comparison was enjoyably ridiculous and wild, not many Albion fans would contest the other two.

What happened in the second half was frankly astonishing. Brighton went from looking like 11 men who had never played football in their lives to becoming prime Barcelona.

It was reminiscent of a Sunday League team playing 45 minutes still drunk from Saturday night, sobering up at half time and then giving a totally opposite performance in the second half.

Fabian Hurzeler deserves a huge amount of credit for instigating such an astonishing turnaround. Introducing Pervis Estupinan helped, alongside whatever it was he said during the break.

One of the sticks several pundits used to beat Hurzeler with upon his appointment was his age. How would Albion players take to being led by a head coach younger than several of them? Now we know having seen their reaction to what was presumably a Hurzeler hairdryer.

Hyypia certainly never managed anything like that during his short reign of terror, nor did he ever get the Amex as bouncing as it was through three Brighton goals arriving in the space of 18 minutes. Hopefully it's the last time his name gets an airing at the Amex for a while.

From disaster-class to masterclass. It is never dull watching the Albion.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external

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A VAR related question was put to chief football writer Phil McNulty on Monday's Q&A.

@nubiblue on 'X' asked: Is the new improved VAR working? To me it continues to favour certain clubs.

Phil answered: First of all, I don't believe VAR favours certain clubs and quite honestly, I've not noticed too much difference or huge improvement.

Maybe a little less interference but I confess I lost a lot of faith in VAR after initially being a strong advocate.

I would be happy with semi-automated offside and line technology.

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Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler says he's eager to "focus on the process" following the impressive 3-2 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The Seagulls found themselves 2-0 down to Spurs at half-time on Sunday but second-half goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georgino Rutter and Danny Welbeck completed a remarkable turnaround at the Amex Stadium.

"The league is so competitive," Hurzeler said after the game. "You have to work hard for momentum and when you have momentum, yes you have to use this momentum.

"Again when we look at performances, they were quite good and now it is about keep improving, try to focus on the process and not too much on the result and we'll see what happens.

"Of course I have a lot of trust and belief in the potential of the team. In the end I don't judge the performances from the team by the result because in the end I'm completely convinced if you trust the process and if you try to focus on the process the results will come.

"It is normal to have ups and downs. We had a small down when we look at the results. I think the performances were good so far. Of course against Chelsea it was not the best performance, but we learn from it."

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Former Brighton manager Graham Potter has praised the performances of "fantastic" Danny Welbeck and "physical" Pervis Estupinan, after Fabian Hurzeler's side executed a three-goal comeback to beat Tottenham.

Welbeck joined the Seagulls on a free transfer back in October 2020, with Potter managing the centre-forward during his spell in charge.

Speaking about the former England international on Match of the Day 2, Potter said: "He has been fantastic on and off the pitch. He just brings that experience and that winning know-how.

"He knows how to act and how to be in a winning dressing room. He has really helped the young players at the club.

"It is great to see him scoring as well, because obviously he is a centre-forward and he wants to score goals."

Potter brought Ecuador international Pervis Estupinan to Amex Stadium during his tenure, and he praised the left-back's performance against Ange Postecoglou's side: "He just brings that physicality.

"He matched Tottenham's physicality. In the first half, the Tottenham full-backs were often having problems 2v1 on him.

"He just gets on the front foot. He is able to match their intensity. He also has a great left foot."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

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Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart praised Brighton's "desire" to come back from three goals down to beat Tottenham, adding that Fabian Hurzeler's side "came out ready to fight" in the second half at Amex Stadium.

Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Hart discussed what changes the Seagulls manager made at half-time: "They obviously had a rocket with Ferdi Kadioglu coming off and Pervis Estupinan coming on.

"Tottenham almost made it impossible for them to get out, like in the first half, but Brighton came out ready to fight. [Kaoru] Mitoma was excellent the whole game and [Yankuba] Minteh made an excellent finish.

"Then the whole stadium atmosphere changed. Brighton were turning balls over in midfield, as Tottenham were in the first half, with Danny Welbeck being that focal point.

"Their chances were coming and Tottenham just didn't react like how they did in the first half. Brighton were one yard off it in the first half, Tottenham were five yards off it in the second half - that is the difference.

"So the comeback was well and truly on - there was just that desire from the Brighton players.

"It just felt inevitable that this result was coming."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Brighton and Tottenham.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Biggles: We normally go two down and it’s game over. What a fighting spirit we saw! That's two from two against Spurs at the Amex. Superb.

Jezz: What I’d really like to know is what Hurzeler put in the oranges at half-time! We looked so naive in the first half, with our high line getting bypassed so easily. They came out for the second half like a team possessed! What a game! It certainly saved MOTD2, which was looking a bit short on excitement before the Brighton game!

Brightoncynic: Fabulous comeback that showed the players can perform as a team. It could have been 4-4 at half-time and 6-6 at the end. Both teams looked like they could concede at any point, but Georgino Rutter's battling, never-quit physicality was what won it. Brilliant.

Keith: Absolutely amazing. What a comeback. Game of two halves. So deflated at half-time. Must have been a great team talk, they were a different side after the break.

Spurs fans

Mob: Game of two halves. First half we were absolutely brilliant and should have scored more than three. Second half we lost the plot. Ange got his wish to keep the game wide open. Brighton exploited our non-existent midfield and Porro and Udogie couldn't live with Mitoma and Minteh. Game management was lacking. Loss is down to both Ange and the players. Shocking!

John: The second half was pathetic - we played like school kids in a park. I have been a fan for 40 years and that was as bad a second-half performance as I have seen.

Herman: Some fans are blaming the manager and the style of play, but that’s got nothing to do with how we played in the second half. No aggression, no belief and not playing forward. Most players weren't there any more in the second half. That's unacceptable and unbelievable. I really hope Mikey Moore will be in the starting XI more often.

Matty: A perfect illustration of Spurs' split personality.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's three Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Manchester City 3-2 Fulham

• Everton 0-0 Newcastle United

• Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United

• Brighton 3-2 Tottenham

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

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What a recovery from Brighton as the game looked over at half time with visitors Tottenham 2-0 up and in complete control.

But the hosts, buoyed by passionate home support, fought back to win 3-2 after second-half goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck to seal a superb fightback.

The result took Brighton above Spurs into sixth, and manager Fabian Hurzeler said: "My team deserved to win. They worked hard and focused on the things they could control. Tottenham always have a great start.

"They play with intensity and we were not ready for that. We also created chances but defensively we have to improve.

"We focused on the positive things - the second important thing was to win the duels to build self-confidence. The players worked hard to gain flow and they used it. In general I learned nothing new - this is always possible in football."

Welbeck scored his 27th Premier League goal for Brighton, an excellent downwards header for just his second winning goal for the Seagulls, on a memorable afternoon for the club's fans.

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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, speaking to Sky Sports: "The first half it was not a tactical thing that we conceded the two goals.

"It was playing with intense, fulfilling the match-plan with energy - that was the main topic. That is what I had to get back at half-time. It is the job from the players they played an amazing second half and did enough to win."

On confidence within the team: "I think little bit was missing. Being ruthless is the most important, in the duels we were not ruthless and if you win the personal duels and get the ball into the opponents half you get self confidence - that was the biggest change.

"Tottenham had some moments, but most of the time we controlled transitions.

"I always say 'we have enough quality to always score'. It is always important to learn from the first half."

On Brighton's impressive comeback: "In the process it is normal to have bad performances as the process is not linear, it's up-and-down - you have to accept these downs.

"You have to focus on your own quality and that is what I said to the team - focus on the process.

"That is how you react from bad performances."

On Danny Welbeck: "He is very free. He seems to be young, he is in great shape and he has taken care of himself.

"He is a role model for young players. It is impressive to play in the Premier League with a big age.

"I enjoy working with him, he's a big professional and a lot of young players should see how hard he works and see what is possible in the football career."

Listen to commentary highlights from BBC Radio Sussex on BBC Sounds

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Brighton won a Premier League game after trailing by two or more goals at half-time for the first time

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brighton's performance, external

What did you make of Tottenham’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

There are three matches in the Premier League on Sunday and we will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Man Utd - 14:00 (listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Chelsea v Nottingham Forest - 14:00

• Brighton v Tottenham - 16:30 (listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live)

All kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week seven, he takes on Will Champion and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay, whose latest album, Moon Music, came out on Friday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-3

I love watching Spurs and the same applies to Brighton at the moment.

This should be known as the high-line derby, with the way both teams set up. It will be a great game for the neutral and there should be plenty of chances at both ends.

Brighton lost for the first time under new manager Fabian Hurzeler last week, so this is about how they respond. Can they cause Tottenham problems? Absolutely.

For Tottenham, it is about showing consistency after they put in an outstanding performance to beat Manchester United.

James Maddison was so integral to what they did at Old Trafford, as were the Spurs centre-halves.

As I’ve said many times, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have to be their best players because they get left exposed, but they can handle that.

As I said this on this week's Monday Night Club on Radio 5 Live, while everyone talks about the quality of Arsenal's centre-halves, they always have the full-backs next to them. It is very different for the Spurs duo, because they leave the door open by playing the way they do.

So I am expecting goals, but I actually think Brighton will get something out of the game.

I have always felt that Spurs will soon give someone one hell of a beating sooner or later, but they are going to have to wait until after the international break because it is not happening here.

Will and Jonny's prediction: 2-3

Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here

Brighton prepare to host Tottenham on Sunday in a game that could potentially be defined by both teams' tendency to play with a high defensive line.

While Spurs' high line and pressing saw them claim an impressive 3-0 victory at Manchester United last weekend, Albion's came under scrutiny after they conceded four first-half goals at Chelsea.

Discussing the topic on the latest Planet Premier League podcast, former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas said teams must find the balance of when use a high-line approach.

"Some teams will not have the capacity to understand it, but once they catch you and they understand your game, you will have a lot of problems, especially against the big teams," he added.

"Why do you want a high line if you are not pressuring the ball? If someone is running at you and you are not running back, you only need the good timing of the striker and the good timing of a little pass or chip behind your backline and the guy will be one-on-one against your goalkeeper. Where is the balance?"

Listen to Planet Premier League now on BBC Sounds

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We asked for you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that no-one is talking about at Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Neil: We could do with more pace at the back to play that high line but, what no-one is talking about is just how much we are missing Pascal Gross!

David: Injuries, injuries, injuries. It is the key factor. We have not played with a settled team since January and it shows - especially in defence.

Sam: The only thing missing at the club right now is kindness and patience. There's a new boss and six or seven new players. We must give them time. Also, the abuse Adam Webster recieved is truly horrible. He has been a great servant to the club and a true professional. Why should one mistake lose our love for him? Remember what the club has been built on. Kindness.

Bodian: The fact that Cole Palmer's free-kick was taken from about 12 yards nearer the goal then the offence occurred. Yes, it was a great free-kick, but he would never have scored if the ref had made him take it from the correct place.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

There can often be a lot of focus on distances covered and sprints made by teams, but how much of a difference does it really make to their success?

When it comes to distance covered by teams it is the 'battle of the B's' with Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford having covered the most ground in the Premier League so far this season.

At the other end of the scale, bottom side Wolves have run the least so far - 5km fewer than any other side.

Initially, I thought this could be due to how difficult their start has been (i.e. sitting deep and not rushing out against top opponents), but they actually rank mid-table in pressing stats (with no players missing via red cards either).

But, it is worth noting that running a lot does not necessarily equal success.

Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Chelsea and Aston Villa have also been the 'laziest' teams so far yet have started the season well.

It is a similar story when it comes to sprints too - some good teams sprint a lot, some good teams sprint little.

Tottenham have made the most sprints in the Premier League this campaign, followed by fellow high-pressers Liverpool and Bournemouth.

But defending champions Manchester City have made the least – 60 fewer than any other team – and yet they have been pretty good so far too.

Looking at which teams have made the most sprints – Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea – and which the fewest – City, Arsenal, Villa – it suggests that playing style plays a part in how much a team sprints as well as just work rate.

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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler "made a real impression on everyone" when he visited the Spurs training ground last year.

"He spent a day with us," Postecoglou explained. "He asked a lot of questions and I gave him too many answers, for sure.

"I actually palmed him off at one stage because he was asking too many. I passed him to the other coaches.

"He was inquisitive about everything. He was already a senior manager, doing a good job, and the fact that he still wanted to ask questions - he made a real impression on everyone."

Spurs visit Brighton on Sunday and Postecoglou was asked whether he would have extended the invitation to Hurzeler had he known that they would be facing each other this season.

"Yes, I would have done," he said. "There's nothing wrong with being a nice person.

"If somebody comes and knocks on your door and wants a cup of tea as a kindred spirit, you let him in your house. He's not going to take the furniture or steal the cutlery. You kind of trust that."

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Just one of the 14 Premier League meetings between Brighton and Tottenham has finished as a draw (1-1 in April 2018), with Spurs winning nine to the Seagulls' four.