Bale heads winner to send Spurs second

0
35
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
WhatsApp


Gareth Bale scored his first headed goal in the Premier League since October 2012

Gareth Bale’s first goal since re-signing for Tottenham helped his side beat Brighton to go second in the Premier League table.

In an action-packed game, Harry Kane put Spurs ahead from the penalty spot, his 149th Premier League goal, after a video assistant referee check deemed Adam Lallana had fouled the England captain.

Tariq Lamptey scored a controversial equaliser, the exciting 20-year-old sweeping home after Solly March appeared to foul Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the build-up.

Referee Graham Scott consulted the pitchside monitor before allowing the goal to stand, much to Tottenham’s disbelief, before substitute Bale had the final say.

The Wales forward powered home a cross by Sergio Reguilon past debutant Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez, his first Spurs goal since May 2013.

Bale to the rescue

Bale celebrated his first Spurs goal in seven years and 166 days goal as though he had won the Champions League again, wheeling away to celebrate with his jubilant team-mates.

Jose Mourinho turned the clock back in an attempt to get his Tottenham tenure moving into the future when he brought Bale back to the club he left in 2013 for Real Madrid.

Bale was derided in Spain as more golfer than footballer after being marginalised by coach Zinedine Zidane but he played a key role as Spurs climbed two points behind leaders Liverpool.

Mourinho demanded a reaction following his side’s surprise Europa League defeat at Royal Antwerp on Thursday, a game in which he made four changes at half-time.

Mourinho ‘misses’ football before VAR

He got one although his side were made to battle hard against Brighton, who cancelled out Kane’s opener in highly contentious circumstances before Bale stole the headlines.

Erik Lamela hit the post and Kane missed a great chance from close range to score his landmark 150th top-flight goal, yet this was not vintage Spurs.

But for the second successive league game they dug deep to come away with three points.

Lamptey again catches the eye

Brighton played without a recognised striker, with leading scorer Neal Maupay left out of the 18.

In addition, the visitors gave a debut to keeper Sanchez, whose last competitive match was against Rotherham United for Rochdale in League One last season.

But Graham Potter’s side played some good football and in Lamptey, who was a bundle of energy, they have one of the most exceptional young talents in the Premier League.

His first career goal came from a pass by Pascal Gross, who has now assisted 16 Premier League goals for Brighton, double that of any other player at the club.

The worry for Potter is his side are not winning enough games.

Despite enjoying more possession than Spurs, it is now one victory in seven league matches.

Kane breaks into all-time top 10 – the stats

  • Harry Kane has moved into the top-10 all-time Premier League goals list, notching his 149th strike to move level with Les Ferdinand.
  • Only the bottom three sides have lost more games in the Premier League this season than Brighton (four).
  • Tottenham (14 points) end the day as high as second in the Premier League table for the first time since February 2019 under Mauricio Pochettino.
  • Of the 12 players to have taken at least 25 Premier League penalties, only Matt Le Tissier (96%) and Thierry Henry (92%) have a higher penalty conversion rate than Harry Kane (88%, 22/25).

What’s next?

Tottenham are off to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday (17:55 GMT), while Brighton are back in action on Friday at home to Burnley in the Premier League (17:30 GMT).

Player of the match

BaleGareth Bale

Brighton & Hove Albion

  1. Squad number2Player nameLamptey

  2. Squad number14Player nameLallana

  3. Squad number26Player nameSánchez

  4. Squad number8Player nameBissouma

  5. Squad number13Player nameGroß

  6. Squad number3Player nameWhite

  7. Squad number34Player nameVeltman

  8. Squad number20Player nameMarch

  9. Squad number11Player nameTrossard

  10. Squad number4Player nameWebster

  11. Squad number33Player nameBurn

  12. Squad number10Player nameMac Allister

  13. Squad number30Player nameBernardo

  14. Squad number18Player nameWelbeck

Line-ups

Tottenham

  • 1Lloris
  • 2Doherty
  • 4Alderweireld
  • 15Dier
  • 3ReguilónBooked at 39mins
  • 17Sissoko
  • 5Højbjerg
  • 11Lamela Substituted forBaleat 70′minutes
  • 28NdombeleBooked at 7mins Substituted forLo Celsoat 64′minutes
  • 7Son Heung-Min Substituted forDaviesat 85′minutes
  • 10Kane

Substitutes

  • 8Winks
  • 9Bale
  • 12Hart
  • 14Rodon
  • 18Lo Celso
  • 27Lucas Moura
  • 33Davies

Brighton

  • 26Sánchez
  • 4Webster
  • 34Veltman
  • 33BurnBooked at 45mins
  • 2Lamptey Substituted forMac Allisterat 79′minutes
  • 13Groß
  • 3White
  • 8Bissouma
  • 20March Substituted forBernardoat 65′minutes
  • 14Lallana
  • 11Trossard Substituted forWelbeckat 74′minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Ryan
  • 10Mac Allister
  • 17Alzate
  • 18Welbeck
  • 24Pröpper
  • 29Zeqiri
  • 30Bernardo

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.

  2. Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.

  3. Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Foul by Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur).

  5. Foul by Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  6. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Robert Sánchez tries a through ball, but Dan Burn is caught offside.

  8. Yves Bissouma (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  9. Foul by Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur).

  10. Attempt missed. Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gareth Bale.

  11. Attempt saved. Adam Webster (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Pascal Groß.

  12. Hand ball by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).

  13. Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Ben Davies replaces Son Heung-Min.

  14. Adam Webster (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).

  16. Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Alexis Mac Allister replaces Tariq Lamptey because of an injury.

  17. Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Danny Welbeck replaces Leandro Trossard.

  18. Goal! Tottenham Hotspur 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Sergio Reguilón with a cross.

  19. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box. Assisted by Gareth Bale following a corner.

  20. Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso with a cross following a corner.

Banner Image Reading Around the BBC - BlueFooter - Blue





Source link

Leave a Reply