Spurs rally from two down as Brighton’s bold plan earns a share of the spoils

Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Brighton, salvaging a point when Jan Paul van Hecke turned a Mohammed Kudus cross into his own net eight minutes from time. That late twist arrived after Richarlison had halved the deficit just before the interval, Brighton having surged 2-0 ahead by the 31st minute through Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari.

The visitors controlled large portions of the contest—particularly after half-time—but wasteful finishing kept the Seagulls in front until the closing stages. Brighton, who were dangerous on the break despite seeing less of the ball, held on under late pressure to prevent Tottenham from completing the turnaround.

Seagulls strike twice against the run of play

Tottenham’s high line was punished by Brighton’s first incisive thrust, Minteh accelerating into space to round Guglielmo Vicario and slot the opener. It was the clearest expression of a home strategy built on soaking up pressure and springing forward when channels appeared.

Ayari made it 2-0 on 31 minutes, unloading a powerful effort that Vicario reached but could not stop. With limited possession but plenty of punch, Brighton built a two-goal lead that did not reflect the overall balance of play.

Richarlison changes the mood before the break

Just before half-time, Tottenham found their lifeline. Richarlison reacted quickest to stop a shot by Mohammed Kudus before calmly slotting home, a poacher’s finish that halved the arrears and shifted the momentum.

That intervention steadied Thomas Frank’s side, whose early sloppiness had been at odds with a season defined by defensive control. It set up a second half played largely in Brighton territory as Spurs hunted parity.

Relentless pressure finally tells

Tottenham poured forward after the restart, carving out the better openings without the end product to match. Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons both failed to make promising chances count, a pattern reflected in Spurs’ total of 11 shots with only three on target.

Persistence paid off eight minutes from time. Kudus whipped a dangerous cross through the area and Van Hecke, under pressure, diverted into his own net to bring Spurs level at 2-2.

The wider picture

For Tottenham, the comeback underlined character under new head coach Thomas Frank. Having lost just once this season and conceded only once prior to this trip, the early concessions felt uncharacteristic even as questions linger about attacking sharpness.

Brighton nearly executed their plan to perfection, using rapid breaks to trouble opponents widely expected to push for the top four. The draw maintains an unbeaten home run that already includes a win over Manchester City and ushers in a busy week: a Carabao Cup visit to League One Barnsley on Tuesday, 23 September (19:45 BST), ahead of a league trip to Chelsea. Spurs, meanwhile, host Doncaster in the cup on Wednesday, 24 September (19:45 BST).