Tottenham vs Brighton unseen moments: Roberto De Zerbi love-in, Richarlison’s goal reaction

Tottenham Hotspur‘s squad showed signs of fight in their relegation battle, while Roberto De Zerbi was a popular figure amongst Brighton’s travelling contingent.

After Leeds United’s win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon, Tottenham could not afford to lose another game for the visit of Brighton.

It looked like they would end their 14-match winless run in front of their own fans when Pedro Porro headed in Xavi Simons’ clever cross in the 39th minute.

But substitute Kaoru Mitoma had other ideas thanks to his stupendous volley in first-half stoppage time to silence the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd.

Simons appeared to have grabbed a stunning winner 13 minutes from time, only for Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time strike to deny Tottenham a first league win since 28 December.

Roberto De Zerbi reunites with Brighton friends

Before the game, much of the pre-match coverage centred around De Zerbi facing his old club Brighton.

The Italian is a Seagulls legend after guiding the south coast team into Europe for the first time in the club’s history in 2023.

Many Brighton players have waxed lyrical about the positive influence of the former Marseille manager, who was in the dugout at the Amex between October 2022-June 2024.

And just before the game got underway, De Zerbi embraced some familiar faces.

He shared extra long hugs with Carlos Baleba and Kaoru Mitoma, while exchanging fond greetings with the likes of Joel Veltman and first-team coach Andrew Crofts – who was part of De Zerbi’s entourage at Brighton.

While he is no longer at Brighton, De Zerbi clearly holds a special place in many Brighton hearts.

Richarlison and Vicario support their side

When Mitoma volleyed in a brilliant equaliser, all the positivity seemed to get sucked out of the stadium.

De Zerbi looked despondent, as Tottenham’s players trudged back to the halfway line with their heads slumped.

However, it seems that Tottenham’s wider squad are united in their determination to stay up, rather than go down with a whimper, as the reactions of substitute striker Richarlison and the injured Guglielmo Vicario were telling.

When De Zerbi hung his head, Richarlison was quick to come off the bench and try to gee up his crestfallen teammates.

And Vicario, who was in the stands, repeatedly tried to encourage the starting XI, as he clapped his hands in support. This carried on throughout the game. Sometimes, the little things matter.

Xavi Simons’ commitment to the cause

Simons, arguably had his best game in a Spurs shirt but it wasn’t enough to secure Tottenham the three points they craved.

The Netherlands international scored a stunning goal as he spearheaded Tottenham’s attack.

Moreover, he was 3/5 on successful dribbles, he was fouled four times, Simons created one big chance, and he got an assist. His passing accuracy was at 85 per cent, and he won seven of his 12 ground duels.

Simons’ efforts clearly took their toll late on, as he struggled with cramp and had to take on energy gels to see him through.

The Dutchman looked more gutted than anyone at the full-time whistle as Tottenham closed to within one point of safety in 18th.

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