Spurs welcome an impressive Seagulls side to north London this afternoon in a game which should have a significant say on the top-four chase in the Premier League. Tottenham have lost ground on their rivals after back-to-back draws, both featuring last-gasp equalisers from the opposition, and now face a daunting task back on home soil.
Brighton have hugely impressed since Roberto De Zerbi took over from Graham Potter and can go to within one point of Spurs with victory in N17 this afternoon, while still holding two games in hand. Such is the job De Zerbi has so far achieved on the south coast, Spurs have shown an interest in him regarding their vacant managerial post.
Acting head coach Cristian Stellini will again be looking to Harry Kane to guide his team to victory. The striker has 98 home league goals and could today become the first player to reach a century of goals in both home and away games. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Live updates
Prediction
It’s so hard to look past Brighton right now. Spurs, hardly the most dynamic of teams of late, will struggle to match their energy.
Brighton to win, 2-1.
Race for the Champions League: How it stands
So a reminder of the situation in the top-four battle.
Wins for Newcastle and Manchester United on Wednesday mean they are three points ahead of fifth-placed Spurs, and both have a game in hand.
Brighton are in sixth place, four points behind Spurs but with two games in hand.
Manchester United have just kicked off against Everton in the lunchtime kick-off, so could extend their grip on a top-four place before this game kicks off.
Early Brighton team news
Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo are fit despite coming off with injuries in their win over Bournemouth.
Adam Lallana, Tariq Lamptey, Jakub Moder and Jeremy Sarmiento are all out.
Early Tottenham team news
Cristian Stellini is likely to go with the same side that drew 1-1 against Everton on Monday.
Ben Davies, Emerson Royal, Ryan Sessegnon, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison all remain sidelined, while Lucas Moura will serve the first of a three-match ban after his red card at Goodison Park.
Arnaut Danjuma is pushing get minutes from the bench but he is unlikely to come into the starting XI.
“We don’t have many players but Danjuma deserved to play probably earlier but we also have a squad and some leaders of our team and if you send them out of the team then you can lose the ability to score,” Stellini said.
“We have three very good strikers and it’s not easy to change them. You have to find the right way and the right moment and also now tactically we don’t have many solutions, and we don’t have enough players.”
How to watch
TV channel and live stream: The game will not be broadcast in the UK as it takes place during the blackout imposed across English football.
Highlights: Match of the Day, however, will broadcast highlights when it airs on BBC One at 10.30pm on Saturday.
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Tottenham vs Brighton.
After a difficult few weeks, today feels like a must-win game for Spurs if they want to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League. The mood at Spurs has been febrile for months and could quickly turn ugly in their first home game since March 11.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 3pm BST from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
