Brighton & Hove Albion (Home) 25.05.2025

The sun was shining as the flags put by every Spurs seat were waved with the teams coming out to no guard of honour from a class-less Brighton, who withdrew their offer at the last minute.  Led out by Guglielmo Vicario, captain in place of the injured Son and Romero, the crowd welcomed the team onto the pitch following on from the celebrations that had gone on from Wednesday night through to Friday night.  When the game got underway, it was Tottenham who started with energy, closing down the Brighton players and keeping the ball in the visitors’ half until a long ball from van Hecke was headed on for Adringa to shoot, but it was dragged wide of the goal to Vicario’s right.  A Spurs corner came in which Micky van de Ven couldn’t get to, then Archie Gray won a crunching tackle with the ball going to Mathys Tel, who came inside in the box with his shot hitting van Hecke.  Mathys, who was lively on the left, cut in again for a shot that was blocked by Brighton’s Adringa, before a sweeping move was cleared but only to Wieffer, giving him an opportunity to shoot, but his effort was always rising over the top.  

Tottenham were keen to get Tel on the ball and Porro was looking for the long diagonal to Mathys when he received the ball.  When Pape Matar Sarr picked up a loose ball 30 yards out, he found Tel, who came inside into the box and Wieffer made a late attempt to tackle him, but only caught his ankle and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot.   Dominic Solanke stepped up to take the spot-kick and his stuttering run ended with him lifting the ball above Verbruggen’s dive off the underside of the bar, straight down the middle.  So, Tottenham had taken the lead in the 17th minute, which was all their effort deserved to that point.

Just before the half hour, Kevin Danso tracked a forward run by Hinshelwood and slid the ball out for a corner, which found the Brighton midfielder’s head at the near post.  It required a reflex save by Vic to push the ball away, as it was on target.  Gruda was the recipient of a few harsh challenges and some that weren’t, as he was spending a lot of time down on the grass.  When the latest free-kick for a foul on him was sent into Hinshelwood, the ball was lifted high over his head to the far post, where van Hecke ran straight into Rodrigo Bentancur and wanted a penalty as he went down trying to deceive the referee.  The ref wasn’t conned by it and van Hecke is as much a wind up as his fellow Dutch team-mate Veltman, with both seemed to be allowed a lot of leeway in what they get away with along with Hinshelwood.

A ball from the right by Adringa looked over-hit, but Minteh did very well to keep it alive and the ball bounced around the Spurs box, until Baleba’s shot was deflected wide for a corner and Minteh could be helped up from deep down by the advertising hoardings behind the goal.  From the corner, Tottenham broke away after Igor had pushed Udogie over with two hands on the edge of the area.  Bentancur picked up the ball in the right side of the penalty box, taking it forward to the halfway line, but his pass intended for Tel, was cut out by Wieffer, who only guided the ball into Porro’s run on the right.  Pedro looked to pick out Tel to his left and with no Brighton player in front of him, ran into the box, only to hit a low left-footed effort that Vebruggen saved with a stuck out left hand.  As the ball was played out to their right for Gruda, Bentancur flew into a tackle from a long way away and the yellow card being pulled out was less than surprising.  It was less than van Hecke wanted, as he was straight at the referee moaning for a red, with the Brighton Head Coach having a go at the fourth official, as he if oft to do.

The introduction of Mitoma at half-time by Brighton combined with Minteh on the right, the tiring legs of the Spurs players were tested to the full.  When Udogie won the ball on the left touchline, his pace took him past Wieffer, who pulled him back, but the ref didn’t think so.  The Brighton players were now leaving something on Tottenham players after the ball had gone, indicating their desperation to try to get back into the game.  Odobert had come on for Spurs in place of Sarr, but there was a deeper position taken up by the Tottenham team, allowing Brighton space to run at them.  Mitoma won a corner, took it and the ball dropped off a deflected header to Hinshelwood, who poked it into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box.  Five minutes into the half and they were level.

Brighton were finding passes through the Spurs defence and Gomez was given a shooting chance from a yard inside the box but he hit it straight at Vicario, who grabbed it at the second attempt.  Tottenham were guilty of not holding onto the ball, turning it over time and time again, but when Tel got the ball tight to the left hand line, he turned Wieffer skilfully and got away from him, despite the Brighton man pulling at him all the time, pulling a ball back for Johnson, coming across to the near post, but he couldn’t get his shot on target and the ball flew past Verbruggen’s right-hand post.

Brighton were using the pace of Minteh and he got into the box on the right, only for Kevin to block his shot and when the ball came back in again, the Spurs defender was there to boot the ball away.  Mitoma’s tricky dribbling took him past Johnson, but he didn’t get past Porro, who swiped his legs away to receive another Spurs booking.

Some stumbling through the Spurs players in the Tottenham boxsaw the ball break for Minteh, who poked a shot at goal from inside the six-yard box and Vicario made another reflex stop, pushing it over the top with little time to react.  The resulting corner was cleared to Baleba, who hit a low volley from 25 yards that came back off the foot of Vic’s right hand post off a deflection, but another Minteh run won a corner on their right wing.  When it came in, the ball again bounced kindly for the visitors, with Hinshelwood back-heeling the ball in from three yards out.

Ange made a triple substitution, bringing on Bissouma for Bentancur, Richarlison for Solanke and Ben Davies for van de Ven.  It didn’t change a lot as another corner was met by Webster, who headed it down but wide when he should have got it on target.  Tottenham won a corner when Johnson’s cross was blocked, but they failed to make as much as Brighton did, although their breakaway was brought to a halt as two of their players were down inside the box.  

Mitoma whipped in another cross from the left and Davies did well to get ahead of Gomez at the near post to put the ball out for a corner, which this time we defended well.  Veltman came on and straightaway pushed Richarlison in the chest when the Brazilian won a throw-in off his legs and the Dutchman’s attempt to wind Richi up earned him a booking.  Ben joined him in the book when he tackled Minteh with his wrong foot as the winger burst past him and a foul was given.  A corner was won from the free-kick and then Veltman was pushing Udogie, knocking Vicario over.  The Brighton defender was at it again when the ball came in, although it was Gomez heading straight at Vic.

Understandably, Tottenham’s pressing was dropping off allowing more space for Brighton and although Spurs looked to break down the left with Udogie and Spence, Destiny under-hit a pass to Djed and Brighton were away with the two defenders caught in the opposition half.  A ball was slipped through to Gomez in the box and Bissouma slid in to bring him down for a penalty that O’Riley buried low into the left hand corner of Vicario’s net despite the keeper going the right way. 

There were six added minutes and that was six too many as far as Tottenham were concerned.  Archie went through Hinshelwood but got away with it, but when the ball was passed to Gomez, 20 yards out near the left corner of the Spurs penalty area, he fired a curling shot into the opposite top corner that left Vicario no chance of getting to.  Brighton had taken the micky by bringing on Milner to play up front but it was the young Paraguayan that took the plaudits with a stunning goal.  Surprisingly, it was the Spurs crowd who made all the noise, as “When the Spurs” rang out around the ground. 

The positivity from the fans was evident today, as Spurs slipped to their record 22nd defeat in a season.  That hasn’t always been the case this season, but hopefully, it will sink in the backing the team helps them (although today was always going to be a struggle).  The constant singing and the lack of divisive chanting gives a better atmosphere in the stadium and this is something I hope that will continue when the new season starts in August.

The banter between the two sets of fans was lively – Brighton singing “Champions League, You’re Having a Laugh” countered by  “Champions of Europe, You’ll never sing that”.  The Seagulls fans came back with “You Should Have Gone Down” to which the Spurs fans responded “Palace have won more than you” !!  There was nothing riding on the match for either side.  While the visitors hoped to get European football, a lot of results elsewhere had to go their way – and didn’t – and Spurs could have finished 14th with a win and other results being beneficial, but we weren’t going to go down and with some players not taking part because of injury, it would have been a big ask against Brighton, who had a few injuries, but had a long rest since their last match.

Realistically, Spurs were not going to win this game, with players out and tired and emotional after the week’s events, with the crowd all in party mood, it was amazing that we took the lead.  Vicario stopped the score-line ending up much worse after a first half that saw them have a go, turned into a second that was a procession for Brighton.  A couple of scrappy goals from corners, a penalty and a worldie, just the sort of goals they usually score against us.  But today was about the trophy.

When Heung-Min Son came out with the trophy for the lap of honour, there was a nice touch with Spurs heroes of the past forming a guard of honour.  Pat Jennings, Martin Chivers, Chris Hughton, Paul Allen, Sandro, Ricky Villa, Ossie Ardiles, Micky Hazard, Paul Miller, Graham Roberts, Clive Allen, Mark Falco, Gary Mabbutt, David Howells, legendary captain Steve Perryman and UEFA Cup 1984 winning manager Keith Burkinshaw.   After completing the lap, Son went back to shake each of their hands in a show of respect to them and the club’s history.  There were celebrations in front of the South Stand, while the players got up to various other antics – Porro trying to pull down Mickey’s shorts and chasing around with his daughter; Bissouma’s daughter dancing on her own in front of the East Stand; the embraces between players; Reguilon going around shaking everyone’s hand; Maddison practising his darts celebration with his son; Ange soaking it all in with his family; Vic and his family kitted out in yellow keeper shirts (as was Rob Burch’s family); Ben Davies and Ryan Mason standing with their families ensuring the sights and sounds were logged in the memory banks  and the young players taking in every breath of the heady atmosphere ramped up with the songs sung to by the crowd leading up to the really loud “Can’t Smile Without You”.

It is a long time since we had a run of success, so these days don’t come along that often for Tottenham, but everyone who stayed behind will remember this day and hopefully the players will want more of it.  The crowd sung Ange Postecoglou’s name and when the camera panned to Daniel Levy during the game, he was booed by some sections, so it will be a big decision as to who will be in charge come the new season, but, as only the third Spurs manager to win a European trophy, you would think he has some credit in the bank.

Finishing one place above the relegated three isn’t great, but the record books will show that amongst the winners this season, we will be there.

That was in Europe, but as far as the League is concerned, there’s always next season.

• Tottenham recorded a club record 22 defeats in a Premier League season, which is the most by a club in a 38 match season that didn’t end up being relegated since the Premier League began.
• The 22 defeats also matched the same number in the the club’s record total of losses suffered in the 1934-1935 season, when they finished bottom of the First Division in a 42 game season.
• No Spurs player made more than 28 Premier League appearances this season.
• Both teams took the knee before kick off.