Kane, Bale Take Tottenham Second with Win Over Brighton

Second Period All Brighton

It started with the no calls and then began to grow. Tariq Lamptey – who gave Sergio Reguilón fits all day – was starting to work the ball with Lallana, himself looking to atone for the foul leading to Kane penalty kick. As the pressure grew on the left, it was clearly annoying Sergio Reguilón who was lucky to avoid a yellow card after coming in late on Lamptey at 28 minutes.

Lamptey continued to apply pressure down Tottenham’s left side and suddenly the space and possession Spurs were finding was gone. As Brighton continued to apply pressure earning their third corner of the half, which Harry Kane cleared as usual – the only thing slowing Lamptey down was a foul throw he was flagged for at 33 minutes. (Serge Aurier is no longer alone)

Reguilón was not really slowing Lamptey down and came in late again and was booked. This time for a late challenge on Pascal Gross. Spurs did get a late set piece to end the half, but Lamela’s shot from a poor angle went high and wide. And the half ended 1-0 Spurs, but Brighton was in the game.

The second half started better than the first ended for Spurs, but ultimately, Brighton were still on top of the ball. Tottenham were on their heels and some dumb passes had kept the pressure high. Then the moment of the match occurred. The ball was stolen from Pierre Hojbjerg just in front of the referee, as Tottenham players protested, play went on and Graham Scott did nothing.

A few passes later, the ball was back with Lamptey somehow all alone inside the box angling toward goal. Lamptey calmly slotted to the far post past Hugo Lloris and the game was tied. Or was it? Spurs players were continuing to protest the no-call on Hojbjerg and since it led directly to a goal, VAR decided to have a look.

It seemed VAR had decided, however, since Jon Moss would be overturning Graham Scott’s no call, Scott went over to the monitors to look again for himself. Getting two angles with himself in the picture right in front of him, where it was inconclusive if the Brighton player got the ball, but plain as day he had gotten Hojbjerg, Scott just stared.

After a minute or so, Scott shrugged his shoulders as if to say what do I care, and then turned around and pointed to midfield, the goal stood. What made this worse, was then – at least here in the states – Peacock showed a THIRD angle of the play, where Hojbjerg clearly touched the ball past the Brighton player and then their foot clambered into Hojbjerg. This was the obvious foul angle, available for TV, but not for the referee, total fail on all parts here.

Nevertheless, this was the wake-up Tottenham needed as slowly Spurs seemed to wake up and start to play again. As Jose Mourinho brought on first Giovani Lo Celso and then Gareth Bale, the momentum again began to swing, this time in favor of Spurs.