Opposition watch | How have Brighton fared since we met in December?

Like Everton last weekend, it's a quick return against Brighton in the Premier League having played them on 28 December. How has their form been since? Here's a closer look at Roberto De Zerbi's men...

Form

Brighton held off our late comeback to beat us 4-2 at the Amex between Christmas and New Year and their form in the Premier League and FA Cup has been typical of their season - goalless draws against West Ham and Wolves, 4-2 and 5-2 wins against Stoke and Sheffield United in the FA Cup,a 4-0 loss at Luton followed by a 4-1 win against Palace last time out. Capable of beating any team on their day, and sitting eighth in the Premier League, it's somewhat surprising to read that Brighton have won just four of their last 17 in the Premier League.

Players to watch

Joao Pedro, Brighton's top scorer in the Premier League with eight this term, misses out, so attention may well turn to Evan Ferguson, still only 19, who has weighed in with six goals in 21 appearances in the Premier League - he's already into double-figure caps for the Republic of Ireland. At the back, Lewis Dunk is reliable as ever and has started 19 of Brighton's 23 league games so far, scoring last time out in the 4-1 win against Palace. Young midfielder Jack Hinshelwood, just 18, has impressed in his breakthrough season, three goals to his name in 12 appearances, including the opener against us at the Amex. Kaoru Mitoma will add danger down the left touchline if he features, having returned from the Asia Cup with Japan. However, midfielder Simon Adingra remains on AFCON duty with hosts and now finalists, Ivory Coast.

Manager - Roberto De Zerbi

An attacking midfielder as a player, De Zerbi - who faces a touchline ban for this game - began his career at AC Milan in 1998 and went on to play over 200 games across the Italian leagues for the likes of Napoli, Lecce and Brescia, plus a successful spell at CFR Cluj in Romania, where he won two Liga 1 titles, before turning to coaching in 2013. He had spells at Palermo, Benevento and Sassuolo in Serie A, particularly impressing at Sassuolo, a team he guided to two eighth-place finishes. He moved on to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2021, where he won the Ukraine Super Cup, before succeeding Chelsea-bound Graham Potter at Brighton in September, 2022. In his first season, 2022/23, De Zerbi led the Seagulls to sixth in the Premier League and European qualification for the first time, and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. 

Last time we met

A forgettable first 80 minutes at the Amex followed by a storming late comeback... it wasn't being the realms of possibility that, trailing 4-0 with 10 minutes remaining, we could have taken a draw from our last meeting on 28 December. Joao Pedro scored two penalties alongside a goal from Jack Hinshelwood and Pervis Estupinan's rocket as Brighton stormed ahead, but two goals in quick succession from Alejo Veliz and Ben Davies on 81 and 85 minutes rattled the home side, and we created a host of chances in the final five minutes, plus added time, without finding that third goal.

How to follow

Saturday's match is not being televised live in the UK. Live radio coverage comes from talkSPORT2. You can listen to BBC Radio London's commentary via our Match Centre here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Official Spurs app, where you’ll also find minute-by-minute text, goal alerts, stats and much more. Look out for our social media updates on X and Instagram. Video highlights will be available on SPURSPLAY from 5.15pm, with the full 90 minutes available to watch on demand from midnight. Also, look out for our Review Show with post-match reaction and analysis from presenter Ben Haines and guests on SPURSPLAY and YouTube. Worldwide broadcast listings are available via the link on this page...