Brighton struck in the 95th minute to earn a 2-2 draw away at Tottenham, rescuing a point after twice falling behind in a difficult Premier League contest.
Brighton scored a dramatic late equaliser to take a point from a difficult away trip against Tottenham.
The goal arrived late in the game and, in truth, against the flow of the closing stages. It had been a demanding contest for Brighton against a Tottenham side fighting to move clear of trouble.
Spurs had the better of long periods. Their familiar build-up patterns and quick attacking combinations caused Brighton problems, particularly in transition.
Albion still created chances of their own. Danny Welbeck saw a header saved by Kinsky, while a goalmouth scramble shortly before that had threatened to break the deadlock.
Tottenham eventually took the lead through Pedro Porro. Xavi Simons delivered a measured cross into the box and the Argentine finished well, although there were questions over Bart Verbruggen’s positioning.
It was a goal that had been coming. Spurs had been the stronger side up to that point and were good value for the advantage, even if the performance was built more on control than flair.
Brighton were then forced into a change when Diego Gomez went down with what looked to be a knee injury. The Paraguayan was replaced by Kaoru Mitoma.
Mitoma changed the game before half-time with one of the standout goals of the season. The winger met the ball with a left-footed volley that flew past the goalkeeper and into the net. There may have been questions about Porro’s positioning in the build-up, but the quality of the finish was undeniable. It drew Albion level just before the break after a first half in which they had struggled for long spells.
The second half was quieter for much of its duration. Spurs played with less attacking intent, while Brighton saw more of the ball. Even so, that possession did not often turn into clear chances.
Brighton then ran into a familiar problem. Their attempts to play out from the back again looked vulnerable when the structure around the ball was not quite right. Tottenham recognised that and pressed Jan Paul van Hecke aggressively. The defender was caught in possession under pressure, and Simons finished superbly with a strike that went in off the inside of the far post.
It was a goal that appeared likely to decide the match, and one that changed the mood inside the stadium.
Brighton still responded. Yankuba Minteh was one of their most effective players throughout, carrying a threat with his pace, direct running and ability to create openings. Tottenham found him difficult to contain.
That proved decisive in stoppage time. Minteh kept the move alive and his ball across eventually found Van Hecke, who helped it into a dangerous area. Georginio then applied a composed left-footed finish high into the net. There was an error from Kevin Danso in the sequence, but Brighton still had to punish it, and they did.
In the 95th minute, Albion had their equaliser and a point from a difficult game. Given the balance of the match, there may be some sense that more consistency was needed across the 90 minutes, but a late away goal ensured they did not leave north London empty-handed.
Next up is Chelsea in another significant match for both sides.