Spurs fail to get a shot on target in 1-0 loss to Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min reacts during a game against Brighton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A lackluster Tottenham Hotspur had to settle for a 1-0 loss to Brighton on Saturday, with a 90th-minute goal securing the victory for the visitors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Spurs failed to land a single shot on target during the game, with the offensive prowess of Son Heung-min and Harry Kane completely shut down by a strong defense and good goalkeeping. The majority of the London club's five shots off target came from Son, who proved unable to beat Robert Sánchez in goal.

Tenth-place Brighton held their own against fourth-place Spurs throughout the game, with possession equally divided at 50 percent each. The Seagulls finally broke through in the 90th minute, with Leandro Trossard scoring the winning goal.

With the win, Brighton become only the second team ever in the Premier League to beat Arsenal and Spurs at their respective home stadiums in two consecutive games. Brighton beat Arsenal 2-1 last week.

The disappointing result comes at a crucial time for Tottenham as the club chases a Champions League spot in the final few weeks of the 2021-22 season.

Spurs currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League, three points above Manchester United and Arsenal. But with Arsenal holding a game in hand over the other two clubs, Tottenham desperately need to extend their lead if they want to hold on to one of those all-important top-four spots by the end of the season.

“For sure, there is big disappointment for the final result,” Tottenham manager Antonio Conte said after the game. “Also, because I think we can do much better. A lesson to learn is that there are games where if you are not able to win, you are not to lose. Honestly, at the end of the game, the draw is a fair result. Instead, we are talking about a loss.

“Now there are six games to go. This race is a big opportunity for us to start to try to cope with the pressure, because when you play without targets... instead, we deserve to stay in this race and go for a place in the Champions League."

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]