Premier League: Brighton in a Quagmire Against Spurs

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur

The Seagulls are suddenly on a freefall following their hot start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. After an insipid stretch of Premier League 2024 results, Brighton are now ninth at the table with nine points.

Following a 4-2 loss against Chelsea, Brighton aim to bounce back when they host Tottenham at the AMEX Stadium this Sunday evening.

Standing above Fabian Hurzeler’s side is eight-seeded Tottenham with 10 points. After suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Arsenal last month, Ange Postecoglou’s men have won five straight across all competitions.

Despite their contrasting forms, the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds expect a tight contest between Brighton and Tottenham, easily making this one of the top draws this weekend.

 

Talking Points

Defencive questions for Brighton

Brighton have fallen back to Earth, as their defence has taken a hit. Since their back-to-back draws against Arsenal and Ipswich Town, where they’ve only conceded once, the Seagulls have now surrendered eight goals in their last three matches in all competitions.

They might have gotten away with a 3-2 win over Wolves in the EFL Cup third round and a 2-2 draw against 10-man Nottingham Forest, but Brighton couldn’t overcome Chelsea, who was singlehandedly carried by Cole Palmer.

After Georginio Rutter drew first blood, the Seagulls were overwhelmed by Cole Palmer’s four-goal barrage in the first half. Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba even scored one for himself, but that wasn’t enough for Brighton.

Brighton are dealing with injuries to their key players, leaving Fabian Hurzeler some tough choices against Tottenham. He must decide whether to stick with Adam Webster, who was at fault for Cole Palmer’s first goal, or turn to Igor Julio or Joel Veltman to partner with Lewis Dunk.

It doesn’t help Hurzeler either that Jan Paul van Hecke remains out up until after the international break due to a groin injury, while Jack Hinshelwood is questionable to play this weekend.

In other team news, Brighton might have Joao Pedro back, which is undoubtedly a huge boost to their attack. But Matt O’Riley (ankle), James Milner (hamstring), and Solly March (knee) won’t be back on the field soon.

 

Fresher legs for key Tottenham players?

Proper rotations are in order for Ange Postecoglou, as the Spurs will play their second match in three days. Following their 3-0 rout of Manchester United last weekend, Tottenham secured their second straight Europa League victory after notching a 2-1 result over Ferencvaros last night.

Pape Matar Sarr finds himself on the scoresheet for the first time this season, while this has been a regular occurrence for Brennan Johnson, who scored the late marginal goal.

Besides Johnson, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison all came off the bench, while Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur were given the night off. It’s safe to assume that all of them will contend for starting spots against the Seagulls.

Meanwhile, Tottenham hope to have their captain, Heung-Min Son back, after he was sidelined against Manchester United and Ferencvaros due to a hamstring injury. He will not play for South Korea in the upcoming international break, which is good news for Postecoglou and co.

 

History

Since 2020, these two sides have played against each other nine times in all competitions. Tottenham have the upper hand in the head-to-heads with six wins, while Brighton have won three.

Brighton and Tottenham split their two league meetings last season, with each side winning at home.

The Seagulls secured a 4-2 result in the first game in December 2023, as Jack Hinshelwood, Joao Pedro (brace), and Pervis Estupinan outscored Alejo Veliz and Ben Davies. The Spurs bounced back 2-1 two months later, as Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson outscored Pascal Groß.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2024 odds are close for the Seagulls and the Spurs. Tottenham were given the slight edge at 2.25, while Brighton aren’t far behind at 2.65, and a draw is at 3.59 in the 1X2 market.

Besides going for a Spurs victory, football fans and bettors should also anticipate a high-scoring affair, given Tottenham’s purple patch and Brighton’s defencive issues, making bets like Over 3.25 at 1.77, Over 3.50 at 2.00, Over 3.75 at 2.29, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.19 viable.

A goalless draw, although unlikely, is on offer at 26.00.

A Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Spurs – the result of their last league meeting – is priced at 9.20. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 4-2 in favour of the Seagulls – Brighton’s last league win – is offered at a staggering 50.00.

   

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