Player ratings from Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton – Shocking defending

Tottenham Hotspur failed to make it six wins from six in all competitions this evening, letting a two-goal lead slip to taste defeat against Brighton in the Premier League.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Tottenham player ratings vs Brighton

Guglielmo Vicario – 6 – Didn’t have too much to do today, to be honest – beyond picking the ball out of his net three times. Can’t really blame him for the goals either.

Pedro Porro – 6 – Involved in some really nice build-up play on the right. Played a lovely ball over the top to put Maddison through on goal. The only defender who actually played well.

Cristian Romero – 4 – Let Welbeck run free in the first-half, which almost cost Spurs a goal. Caught ball-watching for Welbeck’s goal too. Always looks incredible with the play in front of him, but lets attackers go far too often.

Micky Van de Ven – 4 – His pace in behind is always an asset to stop dangerous attacks, but he really struggled defending around his own box today. The left side of the Spurs defence was hopeless.

Destiny Udogie – 3 – Gifted Brighton a goal with his mistake at the back post. Had he missed the ball completely or cleared it properly, it would have been fine. He got just enough on his scuffed clearance to set it up perfectly for Minteh. Should have been a lot stronger in defending Brighton’s second too. Copy and paste that for Brighton’s third too. Awful defensive showing from Udogie today.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 6 – Bentancur is anything but a lone defensive midfielder, but he is so calm on the ball and oozes quality in tight areas so it just clicks. Imperative to the way Spurs cut through Brighton in the first-half. Perhaps he needed more support in the second.

Dejan Kulusevski – 7 – Really deserved a goal or assist today. Every good Spurs move went through him and he found space with such ease down the right. Such a clever player on the ball who rarely wastes a chance to create a dangerous attack. Ran out of steam a little in the second half.

James Maddison – 7 – Fortunate to get a goal from such a weak shot, but there was nothing fortunate about his first-half performance. He picked up some great positions between the pockets. Unfortunately, he struggled to control the game at all in the second 45.

Brennan Johnson – 7 – Six in six. The first player to do that for Spurs since Harry Kane in 2019. Not only that, but Johnson’s overall game and build-up play seem to be getting better by the week. He could have had more today, to be honest.

Dominic Solanke – 6.5 – A typically industrious and clever performance from Solanke. Picked out Johnson superbly with a through-ball to assist the first goal. Held the ball up really well and brought others into play in some really dangerous areas. Unfortunately, barely touched the ball in the second half.

Timo Werner – 6 – Found so much joy on that left side and had the Brighton defenders on toast in the first half. Assisted Maddison’s goal and should have really had more today – unfortunately, the final pass/cross wasn’t always there. Could and should have assisted Johnson just 30 seconds into the match. In the second half, he couldn’t get into the game at all.

Substitutes:

Yves Bissouma – 6 – Came on to add more solidity to the midfield and the game did settle down, it was just too little too late.

Pape Matar Sarr – 6 – Same as the above really. Such is the risk and reward of Postecoglou’s system.

Mikey Moore – 5 – Nice to see him get a 10-minute cameo. Had one decent run down the left.

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