
Brighton let 2-goal lead slip against Spurs as Thomas Frank credits his side’s resilient display in the comeback.
Thomas Frank hails Tottenham’s fighting spirit as Brighton blow two-goal lead.
Tottenham’s repeated shortcomings serve as evidence that a management change is not always enough to address past issues. Although there was a lot of surrendering in the Premier League last season, Thomas Frank’s side has a spirit of perseverance.
In a 45-minute period in which Tottenham controlled possession but left the back door open, Brighton scored two excellent goals in the first half, one from Yankuba Minteh on his own and another from Yasin Ayari from long range. Before halftime, Richarlison’s poked goal set the stage for a second-half comeback, which was sealed by Jan Paul van Hecke’s own goal amid intense Spurs pressure.
Fight on display
Spurs were meant to be a different defensive proposition under the new management, but at the Amex, especially in that first half, Frank’s club displayed the shortcomings of the old administration before discovering the new recovery powers that allowed them to salvage the game.
“What I loved from the players was the mentality,” said Frank. “This group came here last year, went 2-0 up and then lost 3-2, now we are 2-0 down and got 2-2, and we are closer to the three points.”
Brighton is still a mystery; they are excellent one minute, squander chances the next, and are prone to the kind of error that led to Tottenham’s equaliser the following. Fabian Hürzeler’s drastic adjustments helped them bounce back from the lacklustre loss to Bournemouth the week before.
“It doesn’t feel great, but there’s a lot of positives,” Hürzeler said. “I could see small steps in the right direction.”
Frank, whose only continental duties were Europa League qualifiers at Brøndby ten years ago, has a new challenge after rotating his players to meet European commitments following midweek’s victory over Villarreal. “The players looked strong, intense,” said Frank. “The physical aspect was key.”
“We suffered two goals against the run of play, but that’s football,” said João Palhinha, the heart of a fierce midfield contest that Tottenham had edged. “There are a lot of things for this team to keep improving but these improvements have come week by week.”