Pundit points finger at Tottenham star for shock defeat to Brighton

Tottenham suffered a surprising defeat to Brighton in the latest Premier League match, and a pundit has singled out a specific Spurs player.

Tottenham's impressive five-match winning streak came to a dramatic halt as they were defeated 3-2 by Brighton, who pulled off a remarkable comeback.

Despite Spurs taking a comfortable 2-0 lead at halftime, Brighton's second-half resurgence left the visitors stunned. The spotlight of criticism has since fallen on Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, with pundit Alan Smith singling him out for his lacklustre defensive effort.

It all started so well for Spurs, who seemed in control after Brennan Johnson and James Maddison netted to put them two goals up by the break.

The North London side looked set to cruise to another victory, extending their run of form in the Premier League. But Brighton had other plans, mounting a spirited fightback in the second half that turned the game on its head.

The Seagulls' resurgence began quickly after the restart, with three goals in a span of just 18 minutes, leaving Tottenham shell-shocked.

The turning point came in the 66th minute when Danny Welbeck scored the decisive goal. Georginio Rutter weaved his way through three Tottenham players near the byline before delivering a pinpoint cross to Welbeck, who found himself unmarked and headed past Guglielmo Vicario.

Pundit points finger at Tottenham star for shock defeat to Brighton

Sky Sports commentator Alan Smith didn’t hold back in his assessment of Tottenham’s defensive display, particularly pointing out Bentancur’s failure to close down Rutter effectively.

Smith was blunt in his criticism, suggesting that Bentancur’s lack of urgency and positioning allowed Rutter the time and space to create the chance that led to Welbeck’s goal:

"How Rutter wiggled away from three players on the right-hand side of the box is beyond me. Bentancur does nowhere near enough to stop him. Welbeck cannot believe the space he had for that header, it’s unbelievable."

Smith’s comments didn’t stop there. He also highlighted how Spurs seemed to lose their focus and resilience after conceding the third goal, a sign that the team still lacks the mental toughness needed in these high-pressure moments:

"Tottenham have lost their heads. They’ve certainly lost their resilience, and that’s where they got punished."