Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham defeat to Brighton 'as bad as it gets'

Spurs throw away two-goal lead to lose 3-2 after a second-half collapse at Amex Stadium

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou could not hide his disappointment after the 3-2 defeat to Brighton. AFP

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou described his team's 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion as "unacceptable" following a second-half collapse at the Amex Stadium.

Goals by Brennan Johnson and James Maddison gave a dominant Spurs side a thoroughly deserved 2-0 lead at the interval. But the game was turned upside down after the break as Tottenham's defence fell apart under pressure to concede three goals in the space of 18 minutes.

Yankuba Minteh pulled a goal back for the hosts three minutes after the restart before Georginio Rutter levelled from close range. Danny Welbeck then headed Brighton's third after more flimsy defending by the visitors.

Brighton's first win in five league games lifted them above Spurs into sixth place in the Premier League table with 12 points from seven games, while Tottenham are in ninth spot on 10.

"Disappointing. Frustrated and absolutely gutted with that. Worst defeat since I've been here," Postecoglou said. "Unacceptable second half. Nowhere near where we should be. We got carried away with how we were going. We kind of accepted our fate and it is hard to understand as we've not done that while I've been here. We paid the price.

"The problem is we are travelling along too smoothly, football and life will trip you up if you get too far ahead of yourself. It is a terrible loss for us – as bad as it gets."

When Johnson slotted in his sixth goal in six games from Dominic Solanke's pass to reward 23 minutes of total Tottenham control, the visitors were oozing with confidence.

Johnson, the first Tottenham player to score in six successive games since Harry Kane in 2019, could have added another before a sweeping Spurs move ended with Maddison's shot sneaking past at-fault Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.

Welbeck twice came close for Brighton before the interval but the hosts had been thoroughly outplayed by Postecoglou's slick visitors.

"First half was bitterly disappointing," Welbeck told Sky Sports. "The performance we put in was embarrassing and not something we want to be part of."

Whatever was said at half time by Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler worked a treat as Brighton, with Pervis Estupinan on as a substitute, were a completely different proposition.

Tottenham were napping as they failed to cut out a cross with Destiny Udogie's horrible miskick falling for Minteh who took a touch before driving a shot past Guglielmo Vicario.

The goal rocked Tottenham and as the rain came down on the south coast, they fell to pieces. Ten minutes later winger Kaoru Mitoma played a pass in to Rutter and with Tottenham's defenders failing to react he fired in Brighton's leveller.

Brighton's winner summed up Tottenham's second-half display. Rutter should never have been able to deliver a cross from the right but showed far more desire than those trying to stop him and when the ball was delivered across the area Welbeck had the simplest of tasks to nod it into the net.

"Fair to say that the second half was unacceptable and we paid a price for that," said Postecoglou, who looked stunned at the final whistle. "We probably should have put it to bed in the first half. What we did in that second half is unacceptable and we got what we deserved."

While Postecoglou was left reeling at full time, Brighton manager Hurzeler was full of praise for his team for the way in which they regrouped and maintained belief after a disappointing first half.

“At half time we said we had to fulfil the match plan with more intensity. We had to get our confidence back by making the small things right and focusing on the things we could control. In the first half Tottenham played with intensity and we weren’t ready for this," he said.

“If you have self-confidence you get in the flow. And they worked hard for this flow, to create and score these goals. They won the crowd back with the energy they showed on the pitch in the second half.

“I’m really proud how the team reacted because at half time they took the responsibility. They showed character, they showed personality, and the reaction was great in the second half. We have great characters in the team.”