Tottenham 2 Brighton 1: Brennan Johnson thunders home 96th-minute winner as Spurs fight from behind to break into top 4
BRENNAN JOHNSON fired Tottenham back into fourth place with a dramatic late winner.
In the sixth minute of added time, Johnson converted a brilliant cross from returning captain Son Heung-Min to send the stadium into raptures.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou for the first time had all his first-choice players available, with Son and Yves Bissouma back from the Asia Cup and African Cup of Nations respectively.
But his side waited until the very last chance to make it tell.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, already serving a touchline ban, had to watch from his living room because of some significant dental work.
It looked like Spurs were going to lack the cutting edge to force a winner, until Son made the difference yet again.
The late defeat was tough on Brighton, who had gone closest to scoring after Pape Matar Sarr had cancelled out Pascal Gross’s first-half penalty.
But Tottenham ultimately deserved the win that took them above Aston Villa, temporarily at least.
Danny Welbeck soon warned Spurs where the first goal would be coming from.
Inside the first minute, Welbeck took the Micky out of Van De Ven and forced a good save from Guglielmo Vicario.
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
But 15 minutes later the Brighton forward tempted the Dutchman into a crucial mistake.
Gross robbed Bentancur on the edge of the box and Welbeck played a one-two with Facundo Buonanotte.
Van de Ven is the fastest player since Premier League records began, but he was too slow to deal with Welbeck’s turn and clipped his heels.
Gross sent Vicario the wrong way from the spot.
The rest of the first half was end to end, with a decent amount of needle as well as entertainment.
James Maddison’s lovely pass sent Richarlison through, but Brighton ‘keeper Jason Steele saved with his leg and TimoWerner’s follow-up was easily blocked.
Cristian Romero took Adam Lallana out completely off the ball, but referee Sam Barrott didn’t see it. The challenge was not bad enough for VAR red card so Romero escaped without even a yellow.
Maddison came within inches of curling in an equaliser but moments later the visitors almost extended their lead.
Again, Bentancur lost the ball as Tottenham fannied around on the edge of their own box. Lallana worked it to Mitoma and Vicario pushed away the shot to safety.
But from then on it was all Spurs, with Richarlison at the heart of it.
The Brazilian sent a shot wide, played in Dejan Kulusevksi, only for Steel to save well, and was then twice denied by fine challenges from Jan Paul van Hecke.
But Richarlison should have done better when he broke at pace but misjudged his pass to Maddison.
After the break it was all Spurs.
Maddison wasted an early opportunity from a free kick with a tame effort that Steele held. Werner ran past four Brighton players but his shot was deflected wide off the last of them.
Steele was sharply off the line to stop Richarlison collecting a Kulusevski pass.
The equaliser arrived after brilliant work by Bentancur and a fine ball from Kulusevski to Sarr.
The Senegal international’s cross was cut out by Lewis Dunk but came off the post and fell nicely for him to scoop home.
Postecoglou made a triple change, including the introduction of Son. The South Korean, just back from the Asia Cup, offered fellow sub Johnson a sight of goal, but the winger’s shot was weak.
And Brighton, having posed no threat for some time, almost regained the lead twice.
First substitute Ansu Fati dragged a shot just wide from a Mitoma cross, then Van de Ven put his crown jewels on the line to block Billy Gilmour’s effort.
The home fans were desperate for a winner and screamed for a penalty when Johnson’s cross hit Dunk’s elbow. VAR saw sense and quickly dismissed the idea.
Home hopes were fading until that one last break.
Richarlison hit a perfectly waited pass into Son’s path and the cross was on a plate for Johnson to score from six yards.