Spurs v Brighton: Kane and Son to thrive amid chaos

Spurs v Brighton sees Tottenham looking for their fourth win of the season. They should get it because Brighton are weak in certain areas…

 

Tactical pattern

Brighton and Tottenham are among the most unpredictable sides in the Premier League this season, and that is reflected in the difficulty working out exactly how this game will shape up. Most likely it will be semi-chaotic, an open game with wide spaces opening up between the lines in a stretched and entertaining affair.

That’s because Jose Mourinho would prefer to hold a midblock and counter-attack, but cannot do so against inferior opponents Brighton, who in turn like to fuse a cautious defensive shape with expansive possession football. Both will be caught awkwardly between styles, and both will allow the other to counter-attack, perhaps mimicking Tottenham’s game against Southampton earlier this season. It could have a similar end result, too.

Back Spurs to win with a -1 handicap at 13/8 (with Betfair)

Key battle zone

Tottenham may find joy down Brighton’s right-hand side. Tariq Lamptey has a lot of potential but his slight frame has allowed some opponents to bully him this season, and it is plausible Heung-Min Son – with Sergio Reguilon overlapping – will be another to add to the list.

Brighton will be hoping Neal Maupay and Aaron Connolly can work together on the shoulder of Mourinho’s back line, just as they famously did in Brighton’s 3-0 victory over Spurs early last season. A lot has changed at Tottenham since then, of course, and indeed Graham Potter may deploy a 3-4-2-1 with inside forwards Adam Lallana and Leandro Trossard expect to build gradually through the middle. If Brighton go for the latter approach, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele should be able to stamp out the threat.

 

 

Keep an eye on… Kane between the lines

Brighton’s biggest flaw is their propensity to open up too much when in possession, spreading high and wide in pursuit of Potter’s aesthetic passing football. Invariably this means that when they are tackled, the opponent suddenly has a lot of space between the lines in which to operate, cutting Brighton open. Everton and Manchester United scored seven between them thanks to this vulnerability.

Harry Kane, with five goals and eight assists in the Premier League, is revelling in a new withdrawn role under Mourinho. He drops deep to pick up the ball between the lines of defence and midfield before releasing Son in behind, and it is in exactly these number ten pockets that Brighton are overly expansive. He should flourish on Sunday.

Back Kane to score any time at 4/5 (with PaddyPower)

One to watch… Gareth Bale

Bale is another player who could benefit from Brighton’s porousness and from an end-to-end game, given that he needs a bit of space in which to operate while he gets back to full fitness and re-adjusts to the pace of the Premier League. The Welshman will want to over-write the memory of that 3-3 draw with West Ham, too.

Mourinho said this week that Bale is almost back to his sharpest and is ready to ‘fly’ in Thursday’s Europa League game against Royal Antwerp. Sunday could be the day Bale announces his return to the Premier League.

Odds correct at the time of publication. 18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Visit www.begambleaware.org

Alex Keble hosts a Premier League pre-match tactics show at twitch.tv/EPLtactics

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