Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton & Hove Albion

Published on: 25 December 2019

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho claimed Son Heung-min should not be punished "five times" for his red card against Chelsea TEAM NEWS

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min begins a three-game ban after the club failed with an appeal against the red card he received in Sunday's defeat by Chelsea.

Erik Lamela, Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies remain out.

Brighton have no new injury concerns although the squad is expected to be rotated with this the first of two games in three days.

Winger Jose Izquierdo is continuing his recovery from a knee injury in his native Colombia.

    Government warning over football racism

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

@Guymowbray: Sunday was awful for Tottenham all round, on and off the field.

The performance against Chelsea was lifeless and pedestrian, and it would be a surprise if Jose Mourinho doesn't react by making a few changes. Son's red card means at least one is guaranteed.

Brighton's weekend was below par too, but they'll come into this with the confidence from having beaten Spurs at home in October, and their win at Arsenal earlier this month - the Seagulls' only success in seven games.

If Boxing Day history means anything, it's well in the home side's favour.

Spurs were last beaten on 26 December in 2003, whilst Brighton haven't won since 2005.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Jose Mourinho on Son Heung-min's red card: "I hope Son is not punished five times.

"One time was the foul that [Antonio] Rudiger did on him. The second is to be sent off. The third would be not to play against Brighton. The fourth not to play against Norwich and the fifth not to play against Southampton.

"So I hope to be punished twice is enough, he doesn't deserve for the third, the fourth or the fifth."

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter on the festive schedule: "We've got two games in [the space of] 48 hours and we'll have to look at how we play against Tottenham.

"We've got a very hard-working group and it's an opportunity for others to get some minutes.

"We have good numbers going into this period and we need to use the squad in the best way we can."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Tottenham were out-thought tactically by Chelsea on Sunday, could not get control of the game in midfield and finished up well beaten.

Brighton, meanwhile, became Sheffield United's latest victims on the road, and have now won only one of their past seven matches.

It is Spurs who I am expecting to see a response from here, but Jose Mourinho will have to sort his midfield out for that to happen.

Prediction: 3-0

Lawro's full predictions v singer-songwriter and Sheffield Wednesday fan Richard Hawley

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    Brighton have beaten Tottenham just three times in 17 meetings since 1979 (D3, L11). Tottenham's 3-0 away loss in October was the first time they had failed to score in this fixture since their last home defeat to Brighton, which was in 1981. Brighton are looking to complete their first ever league double over Tottenham.

Tottenham

    Spurs are unbeaten in 13 Boxing Day Premier League fixtures (W10, D3), with their last such defeat coming at Portsmouth in 2003. They are unbeaten in all 11 of their previous Premier League home matches on 26 December (W8, D3). Spurs attempted just five shots against Chelsea (including blocked efforts) - their third-lowest total in a top-flight home game since 2003-04. Since Jose Mourinho's first game in charge of the club, no Premier League team has let in more goals than Spurs in all competitions - they have conceded 14 times, a total matched only by Arsenal. Son Heung-min is the first Premier League player to be sent off three times in a calendar year since Lee Cattermole in 2010 (though Son's dismissal at Everton was subsequently rescinded). Tottenham have kept a Premier League-low two clean sheets this season (level with Manchester United, Norwich, Southampton).

Brighton & Hove Albion

    Brighton have only managed one win in their last seven league games (D2, L4). They are winless in their last 10 Boxing Day games (D4, L6), with their last such victory a 1-0 win over QPR in 2005. The Seagulls' last away victory on 26 December came at Norwich in 2002, with Steve Sidwell scoring the only goal in the second-tier game. Brighton have won just five points from their last 21 available in the Premier League, with four of those points won in London (2-1 versus Arsenal and 1-1 against Crystal Palace).

Source: bbc.com

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