Tottenham Hotspur host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League’s early game on Boxing Day. Both sides will be looking to return to winnings ways after poor results in the previous round.
Spurs suffered a third defeat in five games across all competitions on Sunday. Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 as Jose Mourinho failed to get the better of his former player Frank Lampard.
Following consecutive league victories over Burnley and Wolves, Mourinho will be disappointed with his side’s performance in the London derby.
Tottenham were nowhere near their best against Chelsea, while the Blues dominated large spells of the game.
Spurs now sit seventh in the table – one point behind sixth-place Wolves and six points off the Champions League places.
On the other hand, Brighton find themselves in thirteenth. The Seagulls are five points clear of the relegation zone and six points behind their Boxing Day opponents.
Sheffield United ended Brighton’s three-game unbeaten run on Saturday. After beating Arsenal and drawing with Wolves and Crystal Palace, Brighton suffered defeat last time out.
Despite registering 69% possession and the lion’s share of the chances against Sheff Utd, Brighton failed to make their dominance count.
The Seagulls have struggled on the road this season and the majority of their points have come at home. In contrast, Tottenham’s home form has saved them from slipping further down the table.
Still, Brighton will be full of confidence after beating Spurs 3-0 in October. An Aaron Connolly brace and a Neal Maupay strike gave Brighton all three points in the reverse fixture.
With that being said, that was Brighton’s first win over Tottenham since 1983. Spurs have won seven of the last ten meetings between the two teams.
It’s also worth pointing out that eight of the last ten games between Tottenham and Brighton have produced over 1.5 goals.
Erik Lamela is close to making a return to first team action, but first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is still injured for Spurs. Son Heung-min is suspended following his red card against Chelsea.
Jose Izquierdo and Solly March remain sidelined for Brighton, but Potter has the rest of his squad available for selection.
Tottenham will be desperate to gain revenge following their loss in this fixture earlier in the campaign, so we are likely to see the home side score over 2.5 goals on their way to victory.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score on Thursday, but Spurs should come away with all three points.