Today I'm going back just three years to 2019 and Tottenham's visit to the South Coast to play Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at Brighton' Amex Community Stadium. The official attendance was 30,610.
Today's programme cover star is Brighton's midfielder Dale Stephens. He appeared in the featured game but within a year he had left Brighton to join Burnley on a two year deal in September 2020. After just 14 appearances for Burnley, 33-year old Stephens was released by Burnley. He is presently without a club and is a free agent. Overall Stephens has made 425 club appearances scoring 39 goals but maybe that's his lot?
Spurs came into the featured match off the back of the mother of all drubbings at home to Bayern Munich in the previous midweek's Champions League Group Stage and things were about to get a whole lot worse at "Good Old Sussex by the Sea". Tottenham got off to the most dreadful of starts and were behind after only three minutes when keeper Hugo Lloris was seemingly caught out of position by a speculative cross and tumbled backwards into his own net leaving Neal Maupay the simplest gift of a header to give Brighton the lead. Worse still, from my vantage point on the sidelines it was clear that Hugo had injured his arm badly and the pain was such that he needed oxygen before being stretchered away to be replaced by stand-in keeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Some said he was screaming and the injury turned out to be a badly dislocated elbow which would keep him out of the side for three months.
After 32 minutes, Brighton grabbed a second goal thanks to teenager Aaron Connolly who was making his first ever Premier League start. It wouldn't be long before Connolly had scored his second ever Premier League goal and Brighton's third of the afternoon. It came in the 65th minute and summed up Tottenham's afternoon. Spurs failed to close Connolly down and he twisted and turned the Spurs defence before curling a shot into the far corner. 3-0 and it was game over for Spurs. Now aged 22, Connolly, whose Premier League introduction showed such promise, hasn't managed to establish himself in the Brighton side however and he is presently out on a season long loan at Venezia in Italy.
Tottenham's manager Mauricio Pochettino ended up being sacked a little over a month after today's featured game. Unusually perhaps, the fans were sorry to see him go and he clearly left Tottenham in a better state than he had found them in when he arrived. Pochettino took Spurs to the 2019 Champions League Final which, I think, was beyond the expectations of most people as Spurs also became realistic challengers for the Premier League title itself. But, as often seems to be the way, after five-and-a-half years in charge, Pochettino simply ran out of steam and his ability to motivate the same old faces in the dressing room had begun to wane. With Tottenham down in a disappointing 14th place, Chairman Daniel Levy ejected Pochettino and, before we knew it, Jose Mourinho had arrived. Spurs ended the season in 6th place and qualified for UEFA's Europa League the following season as a result.
Despite Brighton's impressive showing, they managed to win just five home Premier League games (and just nine games in total) all season, finishing in 15th place (of 20), comfortably clear of the relegation zone by seven points. AFC Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich City were all relegated but have all returned to the Premier League since. Season 2019/20 was the first top flight season to be halted since 1939/40 when it was interrupted by the Covid19 pandemic. However, the Premier League was eventually played to a conclusion with the season ending on 26th July. The Premier League's Champions that season were Liverpool for the first time ever after a gap of 30 years since their previous top flight title.
CRB Match No. 2339
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