Tottenham Hotspur’s battle for Premier League survival suffered a late setback after Georginio Rutter struck in the 95th minute to earn Brighton & Hove Albion a dramatic 2-2 draw, extending Spurs’ winless league run to 15 matches.
With their top-flight status hanging by a thread, Tottenham started under pressure but struggled to impose themselves in the final third, allowing Brighton to grow into the contest.
The visitors almost capitalised when Jack Hinshelwood’s header from a deep free-kick was turned onto the post by Micky van de Ven before the ball somehow trickled across the goal line, sparing Spurs an early scare.
That moment appeared to jolt the hosts into life, and they eventually broke through just before half-time. Xavi Simons produced a clever chipped pass over the Brighton defence, allowing Pedro Porro to steal in ahead of Bart Verbruggen and nod Tottenham into the lead.
Brighton responded immediately after the restart, with Simons himself almost doubling the advantage when he struck the post within two minutes.
Porro’s follow-up was then brilliantly kept out by Verbruggen, keeping the visitors in the contest.
The Seagulls drew level in style before the interval when substitute Kaoru Mitoma met Pascal Groß’s delivery with a first-time volley into the roof of the net, leaving the home crowd stunned.
Chances continued at both ends in the second half, with Tottenham twice denied by Verbruggen as Simons and João Palhinha went close.
Eventually, Simons restored Spurs’ lead with a moment of brilliance, cutting inside and unleashing a powerful strike that crashed in off the post.
However, Tottenham’s defensive fragility resurfaced in stoppage time. With virtually the last action of the game, Rutter found himself unmarked in the box and calmly converted to snatch a point for Brighton, deepening Spurs’ relegation worries and leaving their survival hopes hanging by a thread with just five games remaining.
