Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Tottenham Hotspur 1
A Harry Kane header separated the teams as Albion drop out of the Champions League places.
Spurs not only had a very impressive away kit, not dissimilar to the colour scheme of their sub sponsor Getir, but also had a very high and effective press.
Albion were far more compact but were not as slick at beating the press as they were under Graham Potter.
Albion keeper Rob Sanchez had to make early smart saves from both Harry Kane and Rodrigo Bentancur.
But it was Kane who put Spurs ahead with a move from a recycled corner, a flick header over Sanchez that survived a VAR check
Albion had chances as Danny Welbeck got clear from a Alexis Mac Allister through ball but dragged his shot wide.
Solly March also had a clear chance but, with Hugo Lloris beaten, his effort turned away at the end.
Just before half time Welbeck forced an excellent save from Lloris as Albion created some excellent chances.
For all their efforts in the first half, Albion became a little shot-shy after the interval.
Roberto De Zerbi’s style appears to be similar to Potter’s but, despite having active wing backs in March and Pervis Estupinan, Albion tried to go through the middle with Mac Allister and the unusually ineffective Leandro Trossard.
The introduction of Kaoru Mitoma nearly changed the game for the Seagulls.
The Japanese international turned Eric Dier and Matt Doherty inside out but was unable to supply a telling cross for Albion’s front men.
De Zerbi excitedly patrolled his own technical area and at times Andrea Conte’s as he urged his team on.
Adam Lallana replaced Pascal Gross again and gave Albion new impetus but at times they were so narrow that he and Trossard were almost stepping on each other’s feet.
Danny Welbeck’s lone off-target effort proved to be the Seagulls’ real only clear-cut chance.
Spurs defended stoutly and really were able to match Albion man for man in defence. So much so that wing backs March and Ryan Sessegnon were both named man of the match.
Late on Son Heung-min had a spectacular effort ruled out when well offside.
