Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou labelled his side’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Sunday the worst defeat since he took over.
Second-half goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck completed a remarkable comeback after Brennan Johnson and James Maddison had struck for Spurs in a thrilling contest on the south coast.
Postecoglou’s side dominated the first 45-minutes at the Amex Stadium only for the momentum to swing in Brighton’s favour after the break.
The victory moves Fabian Hurzeler’s team, who remain unbeaten at home this season, up to sixth in the Premier League table, while defeat for Spurs keeps them in ninth spot.
And a despondent Postecoglou could not hide his frustration with his players’ capitulation after half-time.
He told Sky Sports: “Yeah, it’s disappointing. I’m absolutely gutted with that [result].
“That was probably the worst defeat we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“Unacceptable second half. We weren’t anywhere near where we should be.
“Maybe we just got carried away with how we were going.”
“That was probably the worst defeat we’ve had since I’ve been here” 😬
Ange Postecoglou speaks openly about Tottenham’s loss to Brighton 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/hZ6JHeJkcC
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 6, 2024
The Tottenham boss admitted his side’s mentality was not right in the second half, suggesting his players simply accepted their fate.
“It’s a bit hard to understand because we haven’t done that since I’ve been here,” added Postecoglou.
“We’ve usually fought for everything but when you don’t, you usually pay the price and we paid the price.”
Hurzeler, on the other hand, was pleased by his team’s spirit and resilience, and singled out match-winner Welbeck for particular praise.
“From nowhere to on top of the world!” 🤯
Brighton turn it around! Welbeck heads home! 💥 pic.twitter.com/gI1MUWCLzr
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 6, 2024
“He seems to be young, he’s in great shape,” said Hurzeler.
“He’s taking care of himself, of his performance, how he prepares for training.
“I always say he is a role model for all the young players.
“I really enjoy working with him because he is a big, big professional and a lot of young players should see him, should see how hard he works, and should see what is possible in a football career.”
Hurzeler will be hoping Welbeck and co. can continue their strong start to the campaign when they travel to Newcastle in a fortnight.
Next up for Spurs is the visit of West Ham.
