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Tottenham 2 Brighton 0 match highlights: Serge Aurier fluke and Heung-Min Son put Brighton to the sword
Aurier fires home his first goal for Spurs and Son makes sure of victory deep into the second half at Wembley
SERGE AURIER took a leaf out of the Harry Kane book of flukes as unconvincing Spurs edged their way back into the top four.
The £23million full-back struck with a carbon copy of Kane’s 100th Tottenham goal against Everton in September.
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And just like Kane’s landmark strike at Goodison, it was a complete accident from Aurier.
But grateful Mauricio Pochettino was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth as his side secured their third Wembley win in a week.
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Heung-Min Son’s fourth goal in as many games in the dying minutes made certain of the victory.
Yet Pochettino knows his players will have to be one hell of a lot sharper on Saturday if they are going to stand any chance of ending Manchester City’s 15-match winning streak.
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And Pep Guardiola certainly won’t be losing too much sleep when he watches the tapes of this laboured win over a Brighton side who are now just three points above the relegation zone.
After an encouraging start to their first season in the Premier League, The Seagulls are now struggling to cope with the rarefied atmosphere of the top flight.
With only two points from their previous five games, manager Christ Hughton made five changes to the team beaten at Huddersfield in a bid to get his team firing again.
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That meant a first start for striker Tomer Hemed since he was handed a three-match ban for stamping on Newcastle DeAndre Yedlin back in September.
But the Israeli international soon found himself totally isolated as his team-mates were pinned inside their own half by Spurs’ early domination.
The visitors were defending in such numbers that finding a route to goal was like trying to beat the rush hour traffic for Harry Kane and his pals.
The Tottenham talisman did manage to find himself some shooting space midway through the first-half when the Brighton defence froze after Christian Eriksen’s deflected shot ballooned up to him.
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But Kane’s volley was blocked by the outstretched leg of Lewis Dunk and his follow-up flew into the side-netting when most would have backed him to score.
Heung-Min Son missed an even better opportunity to break Brighton’s resistance when he fired over from a yard out from Harry Wink’s deep cross to the far post.
But just when the visitors were starting to believe they could make it to the break on level terms, they were undone by Aurier’s 40thminute fluke.
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The Ivorian full-back gathered possession out on the right wing and deceived Jose Izquierdo with a neat turn to deliver a hopeful ball into the danger zone.
But his intended cross sailed over the head of Brighton keeper Mat Ryan and dipped under the bar for his first goal since his big-money summer move from Paris St.Germain.
It was a clear mishit by the controversial defender but no more than Spurs deserved and few at Wembley were complaining.
Kane, with more goals than the entire Brighton team this season, had a further opportunity to finish the game off but Ryan was able to save his low shot with his boot.
There was another narrow escape for Chris Hughton’s men in the 52nd minute when Erik Lamela’s deflected shot clipped the base of a post.
The Argentine winger was starting his first game since being sidelined by a serious hip injury 14 months ago and could be more than satisfied with his night’s work.
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Brighton have managed fewer shots than any other Premier League team this season and rarely looked capable of clawing their way back into the game once they had fallen behind.
They did carve out one decent opportunity in the 70th minute but Hemed’s shot on the turn was hit straight at keeper Hugo Lloris.
But any ideas of a late rally were crushed in the 87th minute when Son’s clever header from Eriksen’s free-kick beat Ryan at his near post with a deflection off Davy Propper.