28 Dec 202317.18 ESTHere’s David Hytner’s match report. And with that, goodnight.
The Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, speaks to Amazon Prime Video: “Look, we probably looked a little bit tired. I’ve got to be fair on the lads, they’ve put in a hell of a shift in the last few weeks … we hung in there til the end, can’t fault the effort.
“We lacked some energy tonight. Against Brighton, that’s going to cost you. The good thing is the lads gave everything, and that’s all I can ask for.
“We’ve got 10 players injured … the players have given everything, every game … it’s a credit to them that we’re in the position we’re in.
“No lessons [to take]. Like I said, all a new manage can ask is for players to give everything they’ve got. And that’s what I got today.”
Updated at 18.30 EST28 Dec 202316.50 ESTWe’ll have a match report coming up soon …
28 Dec 202316.49 ESTDanny Welbeck speaks to Amazon Prime Video: “It was a good performance. First half was brilliant from us … we played some good football, we exposed some of their weaknesses … the last 20 minutes was difficult, we’ve got to learn about managing the game.”
Estupinan’s goal: “It was incredible … we give him a bit of stick [about long-range shots] … he’s been out for a while and everybody’s over the moon for him. Once he took that touch, and once the ball left his boot, I think he knew it was in. I think it was a goal he’ll remember forever.
“2023 has been incredible [for Brighton] … we’ve set standards of where we want to be … we want more. We’ve got hungry people in the squad. We’ve won 4-2 but we’ve got that bit of disappointment that we’ve conceded two goals. We’re hoping to get better and better.”
And man of the match, João Pedro, says: “Very happy today … always in the training I try to practise [penalties] … I’m very happy to score today and very happy to give an assist.”
Updated at 18.32 EST28 Dec 202316.36 ESTWest Ham are beating “The Arsenal” 2-0 right now. Niall McVeigh has the details:
Reaction coming up, where possible, and of course we’ll have a match report too.
Updated at 18.32 EST28 Dec 202316.35 ESTWe nearly had an enormously dramatic finish there when Spurs threatened to pull it back to 4-3 in the final minutes. Brighton were far, far better overall though, they played Tottenham off the park in the first half particularly, and a couple of late goals by Ange Postecoglou’s men prevented a complete drubbing and saved a bit of face.
28 Dec 202316.33 ESTFull time! Brighton 4-2 Tottenham
The game is up.
28 Dec 202316.33 EST90 min +9: Bryan Gil cracks a shot over the bar after a brilliant run by Udogie. Son is furious with him for not laying it off. Which is fair. Not to be rude or anything but Gil isn’t very good, is he?
28 Dec 202316.31 EST90 min + 8: Brighton’s goalie, Steele, claims a high ball and the home fans applaud. They are nearly home.
28 Dec 202316.29 EST90 min +7: It looked as if Spurs were nailed on to get a third goal and set up a box-office finish in stoppage time. But Brighton have succeeded in taking the sting out of this now.
Updated at 16.30 EST28 Dec 202316.27 EST90 min +5: Hojbjerg hits the post!!! Udogie, again, is the man who has Brighton back-pedalling. He’s playing as an extra forward out on that left wing. There are appeals that Estupinan committed a handball from a follow-up effort by Porro after Hojbjerg hits the post with a fine right-footed effort … but it’s checked by VAR, and it’s all good.
Updated at 16.30 EST28 Dec 202316.26 EST90 min +3: Lo Celso and João Pedro have a little tete-a-tete when João Pedro is walking off the field having been substituted. João Pedro whips up the crowd after going off.
28 Dec 202316.24 EST90 min +1: Kulusevski and Veliz both have efforts on goal. In Veliz’s case it was a smart turn around the six-yard box but his shot is blocked.
Adam Lallana is coming on for Brighton. Dunk also went down injured, possibly looking to take the heat out of this momentum that Tottenham are building.
Updated at 16.25 EST28 Dec 202316.22 EST89 min: Estupinan challenges Son in the Brighton area. Son goes down, looking for a penalty. No luck.
Udogie then storms down the left, to the byline, and cuts the ball back … Gil has the goal at his mercy but fluffs it completely!
We will have nine minutes, minimum, of added time. Spurs come yet again, Kulusevski belting a shot which veers wide of goal.
Updated at 16.23 EST28 Dec 202316.19 EST87 min: Tottenham win a free-kick in an advanced area. This will be launched into the mixer by Porro … But it’s overhit, and a goal kick.
Updated at 16.20 EST28 Dec 202316.18 ESTGoal! 86 min: Brighton 4-2 Tottenham (Davies)
Udogie makes progress down the left for Spurs … and wins a corner. The ball is floated over by Porro, and Davies heads in emphatically at the far post! 4-2! Could they? Almost imperceptibly, Postecoglou stirs on the sidelines.
83 min: Kulusevski goes down after what was a nasty challenge by Dunk, who took a poor touch, and then dove in, knowing Kulusevski was about to nick the ball away. Dunk is booked. Postecoglou makes his displeasure known on the sidelines. Still, Spurs are on the board.
Updated at 16.16 EST28 Dec 202316.14 ESTGoal! 80 min: Brighton 4-1 Tottenham (Veliz)
Alejo Veliz, another man who crept off the bench about 10 minutes ago, gets his first goal for Spurs!
Kulusevski wins it back from Dunk, who fouls his opponent in the process. The ball drops to Son, who squares for Veliz, and the young Argentinian tucks the ball away. And that is the something that Tottenham needed …
79 min: I mean, five or six-nil, that would be a horribly demoralising result for Tottenham. They need something here. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of solid defending.
28 Dec 202316.10 EST77 min: João Pedro, who has been imperious, looks for Ferguson making a pacy run on his right. The Brazilian is fouled by Porro in the process. On commentary Andy Townsend says that’s a yellow card, and I fancy he’s right. But Porro gets away with it.
Updated at 16.11 EST28 Dec 202316.08 ESTGoal! 75 min: Brighton 4-0 Tottenham (João Pedro pen)
This is a drubbing. Tottenham have been totally outclassed.
Penalty to Brighton!
Lo Celso, who came on a few minutes ago, tries a silly tackle on Ferguson from behind in the penalty area. That’s a clear penalty.
Gil is also on for Spurs, with Richarlison and Sarr now having gone off.
Meanwhile, the VAR checks the offside before the penalty is confirmed. But it is confirmed.
Updated at 16.07 EST28 Dec 202316.02 EST68 min: Sir James of Milner is taken off by De Zerbi, along with Welbeck. Evan Ferguson and Jakub Moder come on. Moder is promptly booked for … not sure what, to be fair.
Updated at 16.03 EST28 Dec 202315.58 ESTThe Ecuador international Estupinan, who’s been on the field less than 20 minutes, receives the ball outside the area on the Brighton left, thanks to a quickly-taken corner by Milner. He takes one touch and then decides that smashing the ball as hard as he can in the direction of goal is the most sensible option … and the ball fairly whizzes into the far top corner from 20-odd yards, beyond an utterly helpless Vicario in the Spurs goal. What a sweet, sweet strike. “I’m back!” I think Estupinan says into the camera as the celebrations unfold … as well as, I think, a message for his mother. That is surely game, set and match. And what scenes at the Amex.
GOAL! 63 min: Brighton 3-0 Tottenham (Estupinan)
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOL! GOL! GOL! WHAT a goal!
61 min: ANOTHER offside goal for Richarlison! Kulusevski drives infield from around halfway on the right wing. He slides a good pass, splitting the defence, into the feet of the Brazilian forward. Richarlison belts a powerful low shot past Steele … but he’s offside!
28 Dec 202315.54 EST60 min: Brighton have looked less fluent in attack but suddenly remind Spurs of the danger with João Pedro loping on to a pass pinged from midfield. Again Tottenham manage to get goal side and the move breaks down.
28 Dec 202315.51 EST59 min: Change for Brighton: Carlos Baleba on, Buonanotte off.
Updated at 15.52 EST28 Dec 202315.50 EST57 min: Free-kick for Brighton. Gross floats it in from the right. It falls for Dunk in a forest of legs … he tries a right-footed shot but skews it wide.
28 Dec 202315.48 EST55 min: Tottenham have raised their game. Udogie is now bearing down on goal from the left flank and has two bites at the cherry but both are blocked. Calls for a penalty. Nothing doing. Welbeck immediately breaks for Brighton … Spurs manage to funnel back and cover. Richarlison is booked for pushing João Pedro off the ball.
Updated at 15.49 EST28 Dec 202315.47 EST54 min: Richarlison is in yet again! Steele saves, but that time he was offside again.
28 Dec 202315.46 EST53 min: Brighton cough up possession in trying to play out from the back, Son seizing on a poor pass by Gilmour. It’s transferred to the feet of Richarlison, who looks for the same corner he found a few minutes ago with a low, powerful shot from inside the box … but this time, when the goal would have stood, it flashes wide of the post!
28 Dec 202315.44 EST52 min: JAMES MILNER wins a tackle in midfield for Brighton.
28 Dec 202315.43 EST51 min: “Watching the match late night from India,” emails Amal. “I was astonished by Milner’s play and being a Man Utd supporter I was wondering how close he was to Ryan Giggs’ Premier League appearances. This is Milner’s 631st game and Giggsy had 632. Barry is at the top with 653. Milner is soon to be 38 and can probably play for maybe a couple more years in a PL team. It would be safe to say that in this day and age of transfers, whatever record he reaches will never be broken.”
28 Dec 202315.41 EST48 min: Brighton win a corner. Dunk and Hojbjerg are pushing and shoving at the far post while they wait for the delivery. The referee has a word. Dunk eventually holds his hand out to shake, which Hojbjerg does, while laughing. A funny little exchange. Brighton immediately win another corner but Spurs manage to clear.
Updated at 15.42 EST28 Dec 202315.38 EST46 min: Richarlison is immediately played in by Kulusevski. He buries the finish in the corner with a minimum of fuss. The Spurs fans roar! But he’s offside.
28 Dec 202315.37 ESTSecond half kick-off!
Estupinan comes on for Brighton, in place of Igor.
Updated at 15.39 EST28 Dec 202315.37 ESTBrighton have a two-goal cushion, says Kelly Somers on Amazon Prime Video.
Has anyone actually made some hilarious two-goal cushions that fun-loving football fans could put on their sofas?
28 Dec 202315.25 ESTHalf-time reading:
Half-time! Brighton 2-0 Tottenham
Son swerves a shot wide for Spurs and that is half-time.
Updated at 15.32 EST28 Dec 202315.23 EST45 min +3: Milner muscles Kulusevski off the ball and shepherds the ball into midfield. I may have mentioned this before, but Milner is everywhere. He is really helping Brighton to boss this match. Billy Gilmour has been good too, in a less obvious way, the glue that holds the Brighton midfield together.
Updated at 15.24 EST28 Dec 202315.20 EST45 min +2: We will have a minimum of five added minutes.
28 Dec 202315.19 EST45 min +1: Richarlison hits the post for Spurs! It’s all going on.
He hits a shot first-time from the edge of the box and it glances Steele’s right-hand post.
Updated at 15.19 EST28 Dec 202315.18 EST44 min: A truly horrible back pass by Tottenham’s Porro accidentally plays in João Pedro one on one with the keeper!
The Brazilian attempts a dinked finish, having taken the ball a smidgen wider than he’d have liked to, and Vicario manages to get a desperate glove to his effort, and just succeed in keeping it from dropping in the far post!
Porro, running back and praying, holds his hand up in apology to his teammates and probably the fans, too.
Updated at 15.34 EST28 Dec 202315.15 EST42 min: Buonanotte takes a needless booking for failing to retreat at a free-kick.
“Spurs fans must be so relieved that Buonanotte’s goal was disallowed. It would surely have been ‘Good night!’ Tottenham.”
That was from the irrepressible Peter Oh.
Updated at 15.16 EST28 Dec 202315.14 EST41 min: João Pedro goes haring after a ball launched from the back. Royal does well to get back onside and cover. Still, Spurs are being comprehensively outclassed here.
28 Dec 202315.12 EST40 min: Everyone (AKA three people on email) is saying Kulusevski should have been red-carded for that foul on Welbeck. Seems a fair shout. I haven’t read the relevant law recently, if I am being honest, but yes. Lock him up and throw away the key!
28 Dec 202315.11 EST38 min: This is end to end stuff! It’s the feast of festive football we all hoped for!
Spurs attack, and Son has a shot blocked from close range in a rare moment of discomfort for the Brighton defence.
28 Dec 202315.10 EST37 min: Disallowed goal for Buonanotte! Brighton construct another fluent attack. Welbeck bends a cross over and Buonanotte adeptly meets it on the half-volley, first-time, and finishing unerringly. But he had just strayed offside.
28 Dec 202315.07 EST35 min: Brighton break quickly and there is suddenly loads of space to attack. Welbeck sends an early ball over from the right wing, looking for João Pedro. It’s intercepted, then Brighton want a free-kick for a pass back by Emerson Royal, but they don’t get it.
“He couldn’t have meant that if he tried, believe me,” says Andy Townsend on co-commentary.
Updated at 15.09 EST28 Dec 202315.06 EST33 min: Porro drills a wonderful, accurate long pass out of defence looking to use the pace of Johnson. Igor manages to snuff out the danger.
28 Dec 202315.05 EST32 min: Milner’s on fire. Not literally, but now he has a sight of goal from 20 yards or so … he curls a stunning effort which looks destined to nestle inside Vicario’s goal, but it rebounds back off an upright! So close!
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