Tottenham looks to recover from their loss to Manchester United when they travel to the Amex Stadium in a catch-up game vs Brighton. Spurs easily accounted for Brighton in an FA Cup clash last month 3-1. Harry Kane was the hero that day scoring the first and third goals.
The big question heading into this match is which Spurs side will show up. Will it be the side that shocked Manchester City and swept aside Leeds United? Or will it be the side that capitulated against Burnley in the league and dropped out of the FA Cup at the hands of Middlesbrough at the start of this month? Looking at the trend of Tottenham results recently, the smart money is on Antonio Conte’s men to back up their loss to Manchester United last time out with a convincing win against the Seagulls.
Brighton vs Tottenham FYIs
When is it? Wednesday, 16 March 2022 7.30 PM.
Where is it? Amex Stadium, Brighton
Who’s in form? Brighton(LLLLL) Tottenham (WLWWL)
What are the odds? Brighton (+245) Tottenham (+120) Draw (+235)
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Team News
With no new injury concerns following Tottenham’s clash at Old Trafford last time out, Spurs have basically the same squad to choose from for this must-win fixture.
Young English left-sided player Ryan Sessegnon is still struggling with a muscular injury. He is unlikely to return this side of the international break. It’s a bitter blow for the youngster as he was just getting settled in the North Londoners’ first team.
Japhet Tanganga remains out for the foreseeable. The knee issue that was thought to be ‘not so serious’ when it first occurred has seen him miss a stack of games since the beginning of February.
We can say the same for English midfielder Oliver Skipp and his groin injury. Another who initially fell into the ‘not so serious’ category when his injury was first diagnosed. He, much like Tanganga, has missed many games at the worst possible time for Tottenham.
Starting XI Prediction:
I expect the gaffer, Antonio Conte, to rotate his squad slightly for this one. One position that won’t be rotated will be the goalkeeper. Hugo Lloris is the only Premier League standard keeper at the club. For that reason, he dons the gloves yet again for Spurs.
Ahead of him, Cristian Romero, Eric Dier, and Ben Davies will form the three-man defense. They have been solid, if unspectacular for recently. That being said, Cristian Romero will be keen to atone for his lackluster display versus Manchester United last time out. Sergio Reguilon plays again at left-wing-back. Ryan Sessegnon’s injury makes the Spaniard a sure-fire starter here. On the right-hand side, I am going with Emerson Royal to replace Matt Doherty. Royal will need to take this opportunity with both hands, however, if he expects any more first-team chances.
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur will pair up in the center of midfield. The Dane and the Uruguayan are a safe pair of hands in the center of the park. Up front, I am going to rest Heung Min-son and Dejan Kulusevski. The latter was amongst Spurs’ best performers against United, so I may be wrong.
Lord knows I get things wrong all the time in these previews, but you miss all the shots you don’t take, so I am calling it. In their place, I am going with Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura to start on either side of Harry Kane.
Stuey Predicts
It must be horrible being a Spurs fan. One minute you’re cock of the walk, the next you’re a feather duster. It makes these predictions a little easier for me, though. Spurs lost last time out, so they will almost definitely win here.
3-1 Tottenham
Stuart Kavanagh is an up-and-coming sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is also the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.