Tottenham Hotspur fell to an embarrassing defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion this evening, putting a dent in the club’s aspirations of securing a Champions League place this season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side led 2-0 at the break after goals from the in-form Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but it would all evaporate within just 20 minutes of the second half.
The hosts came straight out of the blocks and turned the game on its head after strikes from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck secured the comeback for Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
Spurs’ second half collapse puts an end to their five-game winning streak, giving boss Postecoglou a lot to ponder during the upcoming international break.
Brennan Johnson - a man in-form
Despite the defeat, Welsh winger Johnson continued his excellent form in front of goal scoring for the sixth consecutive outing in all competitions.
It’s quite the turnaround for the £47.5m signing, after being widely criticised on social media for his lack of impact during the opening few matches of the season.
His latest goal against the Seagulls saw him match Harry Kane’s record of most games scored consecutively by a Spurs player in the Premier League, quite the feat given his early season form.
However, his efforts in front of goal would all count for nothing given the second half collapse, with the Lilywhites undoubtedly wanting to forget the outing in a hurry.
Johnson can certainly leave the AMEX with his head held high, but the same can’t be said for one player who was extremely wasteful with the opportunities that fell his way on the South Coast.
The Spurs player who failed to impress against Brighton
Given the recent form of Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski has been forced to operate in a more central position alongside Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur - forming a partnership with the duo in recent weeks.
This evening’s meeting was no different with the Swede starting alongside the pair at the heart of Postecoglou’s midfield - but it was an evening of disappointment from the 24-year-old.
The former Juventus talent only managed 20 passes at a completion rate of 69% and also only won four of the 15 duels that he entered.
Kulusevski also only managed a total of 55 touches during his 90-minute display, a tally that was lower than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario who registered a total of 63.
The Swede also lost possession 23 times during the defeat, the most of any Spurs player, highlighting his wasteful nature as he failed to create any clear-cut opportunities.
The defeat will sting, especially considering the 2-0 lead Postecoglou’s side boasted at the interval, but the upcoming international break gives the Aussie time to process the defeat and prevent it from happening again in the future.
However, one thing is for certain, Kulusevski needs to be replaced for the meeting against West Ham United in less than two weeks time if his side are to stand any chance of an immediate bounce back after the embarrassing loss on Sunday evening.