High on the list of this weekend’s must-watch matches is Sunday’s Premier League clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at the Amex Stadium.
Both teams have aspirations of qualifying for European football but are sitting just outside the Conference League spots — Spurs are eighth with 10 points and Brighton are a point behind in ninth. However, this is also one of the season’s most intriguing tactical match-ups, with two of the league’s highest defensive lines meeting in what promises to be an entertaining encounter.
But what are the strengths and weaknesses of the defensive setups?
Brighton’s high line: Effective but self-destructive
One of the most noticeable changes at Brighton under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler is how their defence has been pushed up the pitch (see graphic below).
Hurzeler has been opting for a back four, rather than the back three he regularly picked at St Pauli last season. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk have been his preferred centre-back pairing, with Joel Veltman at right-back and James Milner or Pervis Estupinan at left-back. Their young midfield has successfully man-marked the opposition’s creative outlets, allowing Brighton’s defence to position itself close to the halfway line.
As a result, teams are forced to try to beat Brighton from out wide. Only 25 per cent of their opponents’ attacking touches have come in the middle of the pitch this season, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Their wingers’ work rate has helped them defend wide areas well. They have allowed a league-low 6.2 crosses per game this season at an accuracy of just 27 per cent.
Brighton have also caught teams offside 4.8 times per match, the highest in the league. However, their vulnerabilities with this high line have come from through balls to find well-timed forward runs or quick switches of play that stretch out their defence. Only Ipswich Town (22) have allowed more through balls than Brighton’s 20 this season and their 17 switches conceded is the fourth-highest mark in the league.
Brighton’s press from the front has looked disjointed. Although they boast the league’s second-best passes per defensive action (PPDA, a measure of how intensely a team presses), with 8.8 — only Sunday’s opponents Tottenham rank better (7.7) — they have won just 25 possessions in the attacking third (half of Spurs’ 50). When teams bypass Brighton’s press using a through ball or a switch, their back line is compromised due to a lack of cover. Opposing forwards have either pulled one of the defenders with them by dropping deep, or made a well-timed run into the gaps between Brighton defenders to create opportunities.
Forest and Chelsea exploited these weaknesses well, as seen below, where a single pass takes out multiple Brighton players. Chelsea drew plenty of joy down their left flank, with Van Hecke and Veltman missing through injury while their replacements, Adam Webster and Ferdi Kadioglu, a left-back by trade, struggled.
This, along with Brighton’s attempts to defend the ball rather than space, has also meant Brighton have looked vulnerable on the counter. They have allowed the second-most expected goals (xG, which measures the quality of a goalscoring chance) from fast breaks at 0.3 per 90 minutes.
Worryingly, on Sunday, they will be up against the team who have created the most xG from fast breaks (0.4 per 90). Spurs have also been trapped offside just 1.5 times per game and have attempted 2.1 through balls per match this season (fourth highest in the league).
Brighton’s biggest concerns will be James Maddison — who has attempted five through balls this season, the second-highest figure in the league — and Dejan Kulusevski, fresh off a superb performance against Manchester United. Spurs’ twin attacking midfielders are excellent at line-breaking passes and if they feed the in-form duo of Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke, or the pacy Timo Werner, from central areas, they could really exploit Brighton’s high line. It’s worth noting, though, that Hurzeler said he would “discuss” plans with his players when asked after the Chelsea match if playing a high line is non-negotiable.
Spurs’ high line: Large spaces to cover but well-oiled from front to back
Since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival last summer, Spurs boast the best PPDA in the Premier League (8.6) and have averaged 6.8 possessions won in the attacking third per match, behind only Manchester City (7.3). Solanke’s relentless pressing has added to their off-the-ball efficiency up top.
This has complemented an industrious midfield and a defensive line that has also moved up the pitch this season.
Spurs’ off-the-ball defending has also improved thanks to Rodrigo Bentancur’s improved form after making just 13 Premier League starts due to knee and ankle injuries last term. Tottenham still press with a focus on winning the ball rather than minimising space for opponents to exploit, but Bentancur has covered well when a defensive team-mate has stepped forward to press or win the ball.
This was most evident in the build-up to Micky van de Ven’s assist for Brennan Johnson against Manchester United and in the example below against Brentford. Bentancur first fills in for Van de Ven and then for Destiny Udogie to give the latter the chance to get back.
However, if Bentancur fails to cover up this space in time, it can lead to the centre-backs being overworked.
Defending wide areas is where Spurs have struggled. With both their full-backs ‘inverting’ into midfield and pushing up to close down opponents once they get past the first press, Van de Ven and Cristian Romero are often left to protect wider and central areas.
The effect of this is two-fold.
First, as they enjoy plenty of possession, Spurs have allowed only 8.7 crosses from open play per game (fourth fewest in the league). However, 36 per cent of those have been accurate on average, the highest in the league, often due to an unsettled Spurs defence.
Additionally, given how Spurs’ players spread out when in possession, they are vulnerable when they give the ball away high up the pitch or if teams play through their press as they have larger spaces to cover, allowing for blindside runs (and in the example above against Brentford). Postecoglou’s recent move to play two attack-minded midfielders, Maddison and Kulusevski, also means less protection for their defence when opponents work through the press or win the ball high up the pitch.
These are aspects that Brighton will hope Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter, who started on the right wing against Chelsea, can exploit. Mitoma has attempted 22 open-play crosses across the first six league games of the season, ranking third in the Premier League, and will likely be required to help Estupinan defend Johnson. Meanwhile, Spurs’ tendency to concede chances from the left side of their defence means Rutter, if he starts out wide again, will receive opportunities to cause damage.