by Brighton scored three goals in 18 second-half minutes, recovering from a two-goal deficit to overwhelm Tottenham and claim a 3-2 win after an entertaining game at the Amex Stadium.
Spurs were on course for a sixth straight win in all competitions when Brennan Johnson and James Maddison struck before half-time to put Ange Postecoglou’s men in control.
That took Johnson to six goals in six games, but Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler brought on Pervis Estupinan at the break and the Seagulls converted when Yankuba Minteh reduced the deficit in the 48th minute.
The impressive Georginio Rutter equalized 10 minutes later with a fine finish before former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck completed the comeback when he scored the winner after 66 minutes.
The win for Brighton earned them another scalp after they beat Manchester United in August and took points off Arsenal, but Spurs were brought back down to earth after a decent run to show there is still plenty of work for Postecoglou there is in front of him.
This game was dubbed the ‘high line derby’ due to both managers’ bold approach with their defensive lines and it took barely 20 seconds for Tottenham to reveal the element of risk.
Dominic Solanke sent Timo Werner away, but his cross evaded the unmarked Johnson.
Spurs had chances again and again as Lewis Dunk parried after a pull-back from Dejan Kulusevski before Maddison deflected a shot wide of goal from Adam Webster, who had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards due to injury.
With 21 minutes played, Spurs thought they had scored when referee David Coote’s clock showed the ball had crossed the line following a Werner header.
However, Pedro Porro, who delivered the cross, was offside due to Brighton’s high line.
The same defense was actually breached two minutes later and it was a famous goalscorer for Tottenham.
After Rutter was tackled near the halfway line, Maddison passed to Solanke, who deftly slotted past Johnson and he fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to score for the sixth time in a row.
Brighton regrouped and Guglielmo Vicario fended off a dangerous cross from Kaoru Mitoma before the Japanese winger almost equalized for Welbeck but he side-footed wide from close range.
It was a golden miss and Tottenham punished the hosts’ wastefulness with eight minutes left in the first half.
Solanke was involved again as he turned and played to Werner, who this time hit back for Maddison and his low shot went through the hands of Bart Verbruggen to put the visitors 2-0 up.
Welbeck still had time to miss another headed chance before Johnson fired over at the end of a continuous half.
Hurzeler had seen enough and brought Estupinan on at half-time, which had an immediate impact.
Estupinan combined with Mitoma and his cross from the left was horribly missed by Destiny Udogie, allowing Minteh to fire home from seven meters in the 48th minute.
Brighton were on the rise and after tipping over Joel Veltman’s cross, Vicario went deep to deny Mitoma.
Spurs briefly threatened after that as Solanke was unable to reach the end of Kulusevski’s center, but one-way traffic resumed and the equalizer came after 58 minutes.
Mitoma cut inside and played past Rutter, who beat Micky van de Ven and shot into the bottom corner for his second goal since joining from Leeds in the summer.
Eight minutes later the comeback was complete, with Rutter once again taking center stage.
Rutter was able to turn away from Udogie too easily and was then on the ball in front of Rodrigo Bentancur, who crossed the ball and Welbeck headed it in from a few meters.
Postecoglou responded with a flurry of substitutes and although Werner shot over the line and Udogie parried a low shot from Verbruggen, there never looked like an equaliser.
