Tottenham v Brighton: Match Preview, Classic Encounter, Recent Form and More

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90 Min
Publish date:
Dec 12, 2017

Brighton make their first appearance at the new Wembley on Wednesday night when they face Tottenham.

The Seagulls last played at the national stadium in 1991 when they missed out on promotion to the top flight, losing 3-1 to Notts County in the Play-Off Final. Manager Chris Hughton returns to the club where he spent 13 years as a player and had two spells as a caretaker manager.

Here is all you need to know about the clash under the arch.

Classic Encounter

Tottenham and Brighton have not met in the league since April 1983 but they were paired together in the fourth round of the League Cup in October 2014. Brighton at the time were managed by Sami Hyypia but were struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table.

They did not cause the Premier League outfit much trouble as goals from Erik Lamela and Harry Kane meant Spurs cruised into the quarter finals. Wins over Newcastle and Sheffield United meant they would go onto the final at Wembley where they would lose 2-0 to Chelsea.

Recent Form

Tottenham ended a run of four games without a win on Saturday when they dismantled Stoke 5-1 at Wembley. Form at their temporary home has been patchy with Spurs recording impressive wins against Liverpool and Real Madrid but also suffering frustrating draws against Swansea and West Brom.

After an excellent October that saw Brighton reach 8th in the table, they have are now five games without a win. The Seagulls have failed to score in three of their last four games including both their previous two away games against Manchester United and Huddersfield.

Key Battle

Harry Kane v Lewis Dunk

It is not secret when you play Tottenham that your chances of victory often hinge on your ability to stop Harry Kane. The England striker has 13 goals in 14 games in all competitions this season and has scored 50 goals in the calendar year.

Tasked with stopping him is Lewis Dunk who is having a good season but is developing a reputation for scoring own goals. The 26-year old has fired past his own goalkeeper against both Manchester clubs and Liverpool this season.

Prediction