Record-breaker Harry Kane helps Tottenham to victory as Brighton’s midweek hoodoo continues
Tottenham kept the pressure on the teams above them in the race for fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday night.
Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane handed Antonio Conte’s men a deserved three points to keep them in the hunt for a place in the Champions League next season.
Kane’s strike made it 95 Premier League away goals. More than anyone else in history.
Tottenham named an unchanged side for the visit to the south coast.
Spurs were beaten 3-2 at Manchester United on Saturday but Antonio Conte kept faith with the same players.
Brighton made two changes following Saturday’s defeat against Liverpool – their fifth in a row – with Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross starting in place of Tariq Lamptey and Steven Alzate.
Brighton had won just four of their previous 34 midweek Premier League games before tonight’s defeat as their midweek hoodoo continued.
It was a pretty drab first half on the south coast but Spurs forged ahead in the 37th minute thanks to a large slice of luck.
Kulusevski’s effort deflected off team-mate Cristian Romero and wrong-footed Roberto Sanchez.
Before that , and with just five minutes on the clock, Harry Kane almost scored. A poor Lewis Dunk back pass put Sanchez in all sorts of trouble. Kane dispossessed him, but the keeper got back to pressure the England man before Kane shot harmlessly wide.
The striker blasted a free-kick which shaved the crossbar on the stroke of half-time. While Kulusevski almost netted a second after Shane Duffy’s poor defensive header.
Kulusevski raced cleared but his effort was repelled by the outstretched boot of Sanchez.
For Brighton Mac Allister saw a shot smothered. While he also saw a shot blocked by Ben Davies after Solly March had got outside Sergio Reguillon.
Fast Tottenham break
Kulusevski saw his 51st-minute shot well saved by Sanchez as Spurs went for the jugular. And they doubled their lead on 57 minutes.
The visitors broke at pace and Kane raced on to Rodrigo Bentancur’s through ball. Sanchez came off his line, but not far enough to stop the England captain, who stroked the ball past him left-footed to make it 2-0.
Brighton had threatened just after half-time, when Marc Cucurella fizzed the ball across the face of goal, but Mac Allister could not get a contact.
RECORD-BREAKER!
Harry Kane has now scored more Premier League away goals than anyone else! 9️⃣5️⃣#BHATOT pic.twitter.com/1myWnv1umx
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 16, 2022
Kane then found Reguilon flying down the left wing with a superb ball. Reguilon collected it and looked to beat Sanchez, but he was denied by the legs of the Brighton keeper from close range.
Mac Allister, who was Brighton’s biggest threat, had a pop from 25 yards, as the hosts tried desperately to get a lifeline.
And they created their best opening on 77 minutes. Neal Maupay’s close-range shot was blocked and fell to Cucurella, but his cross-shot flew across the goal.
With six minutes remaining Maupay went down in the box, with the home fans desperate for a penalty.
Kane almost made it 3-0 on 88 minutes. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played in Kane. And the latter tried to place a shot in the top corner, only to be denied by Sanchez.
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