Tottenham salvaged a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw at the Amex Stadium thanks to a late own goal from Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton looked set to claim a top-flight home victory under new manager Thomas Frank, taking a two-goal lead through first-half strikes from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari.
But Tottenham clawed back before the break and in the closing stages to secure a point.
Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time with a scrappy finish after Mohammed Kudus’ initial shot had been deflected, giving Spurs hope.
Then, eight minutes from time, Van Hecke inadvertently turned in a cross from Kudus, handing the visitors a share of the spoils. Xavi Simons’ introduction earlier had injected fresh attacking impetus into the game, putting Brighton under sustained pressure.
The result lifts Tottenham to second place in the Premier League, with 10 points from five games under Frank, edging past north London rivals Arsenal, who face Manchester City on Sunday.
Tottenham made three recalls from Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Villarreal, Destiny Udogie, Joao Palhinha, and Wilson Odobert, while Brighton made four changes, including the return of Carlos Baleba and Brajan Gruda.
Brighton struck first in the eighth minute. Gruda’s clever play set up Georginio Rutter, whose through ball exposed Spurs’ high line, allowing Minteh to race clear and finish calmly past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs struggled to convert possession into chances, and Brighton doubled their lead in the 31st minute.
Ayari capitalized on a misplaced pass from Lucas Bergvall, curling a shot from the edge of the box that beat Vicario at the far post.
Tottenham finally threatened just before halftime. Kudus’ side-footed attempt seemed off target, but Richarlison reacted quickly to slot home from close range, keeping Spurs in contention.
Brighton protested a handball in the buildup, but the goal stood.
Brighton brought on Diego Gomez at the start of the second half to shore up their defense, but Tottenham steadily increased the pressure.
Simons’ introduction for Rodrigo Bentancur in the 61st minute created several promising opportunities, including a close-range effort that Verbruggen saved and a later chance that went narrowly wide.
Under mounting pressure, Brighton sat deep, defending valiantly until Van Hecke’s unfortunate deflection in the 82nd minute handed Spurs a dramatic equalizer.
In the final moments, Spurs pressed for a winner, with Simons going down under a challenge from Diego Coppola and Kudus’ deflected effort flying just over the crossbar, but Brighton held on for the draw.
