As it happened: Brighton 0-1 Tottenham

And with that, it's time for this reporter to sign off. An intriguing match up this evening that ebbed and flowed, and just about got the right result in the end.

Harry Kane is quite good at football isn't he?

Until next time - adios.

That victory leaves Tottenham in third place, four points clear of Chelsea having played a game more.

Brighton, meanwhile, remain in sixth.

All over at the Amex, and Harry Kane's first half header gives the visitors all three points.

In a hard fought battle, Spurs limited Brighton to almost no clear chances and were good value for their win. Antonio Conte will hope Harry Kane's late injury is not too serious.

For Roberto De Zerbi, this was a performance that lacked some of the expected fireworks in his first home game in charge.

90 + 5 mins

Into the final minute, and Spurs have the ball deep in Brighton territory. Now they win a corner and you can't imagine they'll be rushing this one...

90+3 mins

Spurs currently seeing this one out relatively comfortably. Can the hosts find one last moment and snatch a draw?

Once again, an attack comes to nothing as Adam Lallana's lofted through ball is overhit and claimed by Lloris.

90 + 1 mins

Into 5 additional minutes we go, and the home side are doing all the pushing now.

Christian Romero stupidly fouls Mitoma by the corner flag with the Japanese international going nowhere, and the home side have a free kick. 

Yet again, though, they can't force a chance, and the game is stopped for a head injury. 

89 mins

The last roll of the dice from De Zerbi, as Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman are replies by Tariq Lamptey and Billy Gilmour.

And Spurs are making a change too - Harry Kane limps off after a heavy challenge to be replaced by Oliver Skipp.

87 mins

Almost a chance for Brighton!

Lightening quick feet from Lallana releases Leandro Trossard 8 yards out, but Matt Doherty whips it off his toes at the last second.

85 mins

Brighton just haven't been able to build any consistent pressure on Hugo Lloris's goal in this half. They've had moments, but no clear cut chances to speak of.

Adam Lallana is trying to make things happen but his over enthusiastic challenge sends the ball out for a goal kick.  

83 mins

The game is starting to open up now. Great work by Kane sets up a crossing chance for Ben Davies, who flashes one across the face of goal, just in front of Richarlison. 

82 mins

A second change for Brighton as Adam Lallana replaces Pascal Gross.

81 mins

Almost a very embarrassing moment for Robert Sanchez - his pass to Alexis Macallister is telegraphed, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pinches it - but the ball flies wide.

79 mins

Another change for Spurs, as Son Heung-min trots off to be replaced by Ivan Perisic.

78 mins

A chance for Danny Welbeck! Richarlison gives the ball away far too easily on the edge of his box and a space opens up for Welbeck to shoot on his left, but he shanks it wide.

They just haven't tested Hugo Lloris enough this evening.

75 mins

A magnificent finish from Son! He lashes the ball into the top corner - but it's immediately ruled out for offside.

No need for VAR on that one, a quick glance at the replay tells you he was well off.

74 mins

Brighton have got into some decent positions this evening but just haven't been able to find the killer ball - and Christian Romero cuts out another through ball from Danny Welbeck.

72 mins

A big chance for Spurs! Son's swinging free kick just evades the touch of Harry Kane, who would surely have scored if he'd made contact, just a few years out.

71 mins

Here comes Richarlison for Spurs, in place of Yves Bissouma, who departs to a smattering of boos.

Spurs with their more familiar front three in place now.

69 mins

This lad's a threat!

Mitoma again threatens for the hosts, beating two Spurs defenders inside the box before Hugo Lloris dives in to claim the ball.

68 mins

Mitoma has actually come on to play on the left hand side, and he immediately has a chance to cut in off the flank and shoot, but his effort is blocked.

66 mins

The first substitution of the evening, as Brighton send on their Japanese international striker Kaoru Mitoma in place of Pervis Estupinan.

An extra forward man for the Seagulls - De Zerbi is obviously going for it.

62 mins

Almost from hero to zero for Lewis Dunk in a matter of seconds. He's rolled far too easily by Kane, who has a clear shot at goal but drags his effort wide.

He normally buries those! A let off for Brighton.

61 mins

Magnificent challenge by Lewis Dunk!

Harry Kane slides in Son and he's clean through - but Dunk's magnificently timed slide tackle denies the Tottenham man.

Outstanding defending!

59 mins

Ryan Sessegnon has looked a threat all evening down the left for Spurs, and he gets round the back once more as Rodrigo Bentancur slides him in.

Sessegnon's low cross is cleared before it gets to Son, though - and up goes the flag anyway.

58 mins

Spurs have done pretty well to quell Brighton's momentum at the start of this half.

It looked like the home side were going to lay on a siege, but it hasn't happened yet and Tottenham are growing back into it now.

56 mins

As you might expect, Spurs are sitting pretty deep now and looking to counter. It's inviting pressure, and Brighton win a corner as Adam Webster's low shot is blocked.

Pascal Gross lofts it to the back post and it's nodded back into the danger area, but to no avail.

53 mins

Once again, Son Heung-min wastes a promising opening on the counter. Sessesgnon jinks past a challenge in midfield and plays him in down the left, but he fails to beat his man and the move breaks down.

It's just not happening for last season's joint golden boot winner at the moment.

51 mins

Son's touch deserts him - not for the first time this season - as he spurns a promising opportunity on the edge of the box after Hojbjerg picks him out.

49 mins

A yellow card for Joel Veltman as he brings down Son on the halfway line.

He's not happy about it, but it doesn't look like he got any of the ball.

46 mins

Brighton have started this half quickly, picking up where they left off at the end of the first. 

The ball ping pongs around the Tottenham box and Yves Bissouma has to nod it to safety before it drops to Danny Welbeck.

The players are back and the second half is underway!

Can Brighton turn this around?

So far, so good for Antonio Conte, whose side lead his against Brighton, managed at home for the first time by his compatriot Roberto De Zerbi.

It's certainly been an interesting tactical match up so far, with Spurs bossing the first 25 minutes before Brighton got a foothold in the game.

Both teams are looking to get forward and make things happen, and it's led to an entertaining encounter. Who said Italians only play defensive football?!

An intriguing first half ends with Spurs 1-0 up courtesy of their talisman Harry Kane.

It felt deserved at the time, but since then the hosts have woken up and remembered that they can play a bit too, and overall can consider themselves a bit unlucky to be behind.

45 mins

Into one added minute at the end of the first period.

43 mins

A half chance for Brighton, and another one that falls to Danny Welbeck. The former Arsenal man pulls the trigger on his left foot just inside the box, but it's straight at Lloris.

42 mins

A reminder from Spurs that they are still a huge threat on the counter, as Sessegnon almost wins the ball of Webster to go clean through - but he's penalised for a push.

Brighton still in the ascendancy though. They won't want half time to come.

39 mins

Agonising for the hosts!

Solly March fires inches wide from the edge of the box, with Hugo Lloris nowhere near it.

Brighton really turning up the pressure now.

38 mins

That Harry Kane goal was his 9th in 11 games against the Seagulls.

Marksman.

37 mins

 

36 mins

The home side are enjoying their best spell of the game now, and they win three corners in quick succession.

And what a chance from the third! The ball finds Lewis Dunk at the back post but he nods narrowly over.

Should have done better!

 

32 mins

Bissouma  makes immediate amends! From the free kick, the ball is nodded down to Trossard on the edge of the box but Bissouma gets across to block the shot.

30 mins

Yves Bissouma goes into the referee's book for a late challenge on Alexis Macallister.

That was silly - the Argentinian was going nowhere.

Free kick for Brighton midway inside the Spurs half, and a chance to sling it into the box?

29 mins

Finally some joy for the home side, as Moises Caicedo tests Hugo Lloris from the edge of the box and the Frenchman has to palm it away. 

28 mins

Captain Kane sprints off the pitch to grab the ball for a throw-in, and releases Ryan Sessegnon on the left who flashes a low cross across the box, too far ahead of Son.

Once again it's Spurs looking most threatening - where was this intensity last week?

26 mins

A stat flashes up showing that Spurs have won 17 out of 21 games under Antonio Conte when scoring first.

Ominous stuff for the Seagulls.

24 mins

Tottenham, buoyed by the goal, are bossing this one now. Bentancur gets in down the right but fails to pick anyone out with his low centre and the ball is cleared again.

22 mins

Who else?

From the corner, the ball makes its' way to Son, whose low cross into the six yard box is nodded home by skipper Kane.

Spurs in front, and they just about deserve it.

21 mins

Chance for Spurs!

Son makes progress down the left hand side and cuts inside - it looks like the shot is on but he switches it to Rodrigo Bentancur, whose rasping drive is pushed behind by Sanches for a corner.

18 mins

Yellow card for Harry Kane - he controls a bouncing ball with his hand as he's running through on goal, and the officials deem it a deliberate handball.

17 mins

Chance for Brighton!

Danny Welbeck is not the world's deadliest striker but this is a decent effort. All on his own in a pocket of space on the edge of the box, his low effort flashes past the far post.

He didn't have a lot to aim at there.

15 mins

Fair to say we're still waiting for this one to ignite. 

Both sides have been in some decent areas in the final this, but with both lining up with three centre backs, space in central areas has been in short supply, and there haven't been any clear chances yet for either side.

13 mins

A wild thrash from Son Heung-min 30 yards out sees the ball flying over the bar.

He shouldn't be shooting from there, but Spurs have really struggled to get any closer to the Brighton goal so far.

11 mins

Now some joy for the home side as low crosses from Solly March and Pascal Gross are cleared at the near post in quick succession.

Both chances came down the right hand side - are they targeting the Tottenham left?

9 mins

Another half-opening for Spurs as Harry Kane finds space just inside the box on the right hand side. He shifts it onto his left foot and shoots, but his effort is blocked.

8 mins

An opening for Spurs as Rodrigo Bentancaur plays in Matt Doherty down the right, but his touch lets him down and it dribbles out of play.

Sessegnon was free at the back post if he could have found him! That was a chance.

7 mins

Brighton can't get out of their half so far, as Spurs continue to monopolise possession.

The home side look solid though, and that Son free kick aside, no efforts on goal for either side yet.

5 mins

Spurs enjoying much more of the ball so far, and keeping it tidily in midfield. That extra man in the middle certainly seems to have helped with their ball retention.

 

3 mins

After a slow start, Harry Kane is fouled on the edge of the box by Alexis Macallister and Spurs have a free kick in a promising spot.

Son steps up and hits a decent effort, but it lacks power and Robert Sanchez fists it away with relative ease.

Away we go!

Before we get underway, there is a minute's applause for Gian Piero Ventrone.

Some sad looking faces on the Tottenham bench - Antonio Conte struggles to hold back the tears.

Here we go - with 5 minutes until kick-off, the sides enter the arena.

Flames adorn the South coast air from jets at the side of the pitch. Let's hope for a similarly fiery encounter!

This afternoon's wins for Newcastle and Chelsea mean that Brighton start this game from 6th place in the table, having started the day in 4th.

It's far too early to be worrying about the table of course, but when you're not one of the big boys, it's always nice to look at the top 4 places and see your own team's name up there.

A win for Brighton this evening will give their fans the chance to gloat a little longer.

One man who could desperately do with a goal this afternoon is South Korean superstar Son Heung-min.

The Spurs man has been one of their most reliable goalscorers in recent times, with some even putting him on a par with Harry Kane in importance to the team. But this season has been a huge struggle.

 

Apart from his scintillating 13-mminute hat trick against Leicester City, the hitman has not netted this season, and he hasn't particularly looked like scoring either. The longer that goes on, the more worrying it becomes for Conte and co. 

Surely Son is too good to let this barren run stretch on for much longer?

This afternoon in the 3PM Premier League kick offs, all four home teams won. Would you bet against Brighton making it a clean sweep?

They've taken seven points from a possible nine at the Amex so far this term.

The build up to the game this week was overshadowed by the sad news of the passing of Gian Piero Ventrone, Tottenham's fitness coach.

Ventrone enjoyed a stellar career, working with Marcello Lippi's great Juventus side in the 1990s, and then the Italian national side that won the 2006 World Cup. He had linked up with his great friend Antonio Conte in November last year and was already renowned at White Hart Lane for his gruelling fitness sessions.

On  a sad day for Spurs, they will no doubt want to take home a positive result to honour their late colleague.

One man who will be particularly keen to get on the scoresheet for Brighton is former Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck.

 

The England man has started 6 of the Seagulls' 7 games so far but is yet to get off the mark. 

There's no better time to do it than against your old rivals!

Another Spurs change this afternoon sees Yves Bossouma return to the starting XI against his former side. It'll be fascinating to see what kind of reception he gets back at the Amex, where he made 112 appearances over 4 fruitful seasons.

It looks like a different shape this afternoon for Spurs, as Antonio Conte abandons his usual 3-4-3 in favour of a 3-5-2.

The new approach is causing quite a fuss on Twitter:

Fascinating Spurs team here. Doherty in for first start of season. Bissouma’s second start for Spurs. Richarlison and Perisic on the bench. Looks like a first 3-5-2 since Leicester away in January. https://t.co/6aB2piVzUR

— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) October 8, 2022

The starting XIs have landed!

Unsurprisingly, Roberto De Zerbi has named an unchanged Brighton line-up from their impressive 3-3 draw at Anfield last weekend.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte, meanwhile, with Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma and - most surprisingly - Matt Doherty all start.

When asked this week why he wasn't giving Doherty more games, Conte replied "I am not stupid. I do not want to lose."

Hmmm.

 

Brighton: Sanchez, Veltman, Dunk, Webster, March, Caicedo, Mac Allister, Estupinan, Gross, Trossard, Welbeck.

Substitutes: Steele, Lamptey, Colwill, Lallana, Sarmiento, Undav, Mitoma, Gilmour, Turns

 

Tottenham: 

Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sessegnon, Kane, Son

Substitutes: 

Forster, Skipp, Sánchez, Richarlison, Gil, Perisic, Spence, Sarr, Lenglet

 

Selected kick-off times from across the globe:

India 22:00

South Africa  18:30

Australia 03:30 (Sunday 9^th October)

Beijing 00:30 (Sunday 9^th October)

The game is being shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, and kicks off at 17:30 BST.

Considering everything I’ve just said, you may be surprised to read that I am not going to sit on the fence today. I think Spurs will have to ride their luck, but they will get plenty of space on the break to exploit, and at some point Harry Kane usually takes advantage of that.

I’ll go for a 2-1 away win. Feel free to remind me about that after the game!

Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2017, spoils have been shared pretty evenly in this fixture; in their five league meetings at the Amex there have been two home wins, two away wins and a draw.

This weekend doesn’t look any easier to predict either. Spurs are superior on paper, but haven’t been playing well, while Brighton have been playing incredibly well but have a new boss trying to impart his own ideas.

How will the De Zerbi effect change the home side’s approach? And will Spurs misfiring forward line – with the exception of Kane – click into gear?

So many questions.

Under normal circumstances, we would probably all be raving about Harry Kane right now. With 7 goals in 8 league games this season, the England captain has started the season in scintillating form.

 

However, there is only one striker anyone wants to talk about at the moment, as Erling Haaland continues to obliterate all records – and defences - before him.

 

Kane has never seemed like someone who loves the limelight that comes with being a superstar, so he is probably perfectly happy to play second fiddle and quietly go about his business. The numbers definitely suggest so.

 

With eight goals in ten appearances against Brighton, it would be foolish to bet against him continuing his impressive form this weekend.

Leandro Trossard’s hat-trick last week propelled him up to joint-4^th place in the Premier League top scorer charts, and the Belgian will be hoping there is more to come this weekend.

The 27 year-old grabbed eight goals last season, his best haul in his three years in England, and is already on five this campaign.

Long-known as a tormentor of defences with his quick feet and deceptive speed, the Belgian will certainly be looking to up his productivity and claim at least a double-digit haul this season.

With the World Cup just over a month away, and competition fierce in the Belgium squad, another goal this weekend would do his chances of getting on the plane no harm whatsoever.

For Spurs, Japhet Tanganga and Lucas Moura are ruled out, while Dejan Kulusevski is highly doubtful to make it. Emerson Royal misses out through suspension after his red card at Arsenal last week.

Predicted line-up for Tottenham:

Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Perisic, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon; Richarlison, Kane, Son

Jakub Moder and Enoch Mwepu will be out for the home side, while they are also sweating over the fitness of Moises Caicedo.

 

Should Caicedo be passed fit, the Seagulls are likely to be unchanged from their 3-3 draw at Liverpool last week.

Predicted line-up for Brighton:

Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Estupinan; Trossard, Welbeck, Gross

The man in charge for this one will be Tony Harrington, with Lee Betts and Marc Perry as his assistants.

 

On VAR duty will be Stuart Attwell.

Prior to last week’s derby defeat, things were looking pretty rosy at White Hart Lane. Spurs had gone thirteen Premier League matches unbeaten and sat level on points with Manchester City, but that defeat – and the insipid manner of it – has brought some concerns to the surface.

The general consensus is that Spurs are not a good side to watch under Antonio Conte, with his preference for his team to defend extremely deep for most of the game and then try and exploit spaces on the counter-attack. When it clicks, it can be devastating, as seen in the final 20 minutes of their 6-2 dismantling of Leicester City last month. However, for long spells in games, they just look meek.

The suspicion remains that they are a better side when Dejan Kulusevski plays, though he is unlikely to be fit for this one. That is bad news for a side that could urgently do with an injection of creativity.

Spurs are likely to get opportunities to counter against a side that likes to hog the ball – will they be able to make the most of them?

Losing Graham Potter, one of the most promising young managers in England,  would have been a devastating blow to most clubs, but not Brighton. Under CEO Paul Barber they are a smartly run outfit and have had a succession plan in place for years – if reports are to be believed – by the name of Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi’s availability, having left Shakhtar Donetsk following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, proved very convenient for the Seagulls, who have tracked him for some time. The Italian made his name at Sassuolo, where he led the Serie A outsiders to consecutive 8^th-placed finishes while playing extremely entertaining football.

His laser-like focus on positional play seems a good fit for his new club, but De Zerbi’s brand of possession football is much higher risk than Potter’s was. He likes his sides to draw the opposition on to them before playing through them with elaborate passing patterns in the middle of the pitch.

It’s a high-risk strategy that has meant his sides always score lots and concede lots too; in 19/20, there were 132 goals in Sassuolo’s 38 league games.

Brighton fans have gotten used to seeing their team play entertaining football and that could be about to go to a whole new level under the new gaffer.

This afternoon's match will take place at the Amex Stadium, Brighton, capacity 31,800.

Opened just over 10 years ago, the Amex is one of the most impressive places to watch football in the country, despite its’ relatively small capacity.

Given the home side’s form so far this year and the fact that there’s a new manager being welcomed to the dugout for the first time, the atmosphere is likely to be pretty special come kick-off time.

Welcome to Vavel's live coverage of Brighton and Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Saturday teatime kick-off. I’m Alex Jones and I will be your host for this intriguing-looking match up by the seaside.

Brighton will be looking to build on the point they gained in such thrilling fashion at Anfield last week, in what will be new boss Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge. The Seagulls have made a fast start to the season and currently sit in fourth place in the table – can De Zerbi maintain the momentum from his predecessor, Graham Potter, and claim more points from one of the big boys?

Spurs, sitting just one place above them in third, will be hoping not. Antonio Conte’s side have been a strange team to watch so far this year, frequently looking unimpressive while grinding out results. Their dreadful display last week in the North London derby, and the erratic form of their forwards, is causing concern among the fanbase. A trip to the Amex, likely to be packed to the rafters and rocking, is a serious test.

Who will come out on top? Stay with us to find out!