Tottenham Hotspur defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 on Sunday as they continue their good run of form. Although the Lilywhites were far from their best, a late strike from Gareth Bale helped them secure all three points. And here, at The 4th Official, we will take a look at three key takeaways for Tottenham in their win over Brighton this past weekend.
Is Alderweireld A Better Option Than Sanchez?
Sunday’s game saw Toby Alderweireld start ahead of Davinson Sanchez at centre-back, even though the Colombian has been primarily the first choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho so far this campaign.
The decision to include Alderweireld back into the lineup paid dividends for Mourinho, as the Belgian notably provided the diagonal ball towards Sergio Reguilon, whose cross found Bale for the winner. The defender was also fairly solid in defence, despite constant pressure from the Brighton & Hove Albion attackers.
Alderweireld’s performance begs the question as to whether or not the experienced centre-back is indeed the better option compared to Sanchez. The former Atletico Madrid star clearly has more composure and temperament, though he does lack pace. So it will be interesting to see how Mourinho selects his central defensive pairing in the Premier League from now on.
Gareth Bale Back To His Best?
Bale’s goal out of nowhere during the latter stages of this game served as a winner for Tottenham Hotspur. But more importantly, it should give the forward some much-needed confidence as he looks to become a valuable member of the Spurs attack, after rejoining the club on loan from Real Madrid.
Unfortunately, the Welshman may take a bit more time in settling into life, especially after a barren couple of years at the Santiago Bernabeu. He still doesn’t look sharp enough and lacks that athleticism, speed and dynamism that he has in long supply.
It will be interesting to see how performs in the upcoming midweek fixture against Ludogorets, where the forward is more than likely to start as Mourinho once again looks to shuffle his pack.
A Much-Needed Home Win
Sunday’s win over Brighton & Hove Albion was Tottenham Hotspur’s first home win of the campaign. The Lilywhites had fared poorly at home so far, especially in the defensive department, having notably conceded three goals against Southampton.
However, this narrow win over the Seagulls should give them some much-needed boost for Mourinho’s men as they look to push up in the league table. At the time of writing, Spurs are currently sitting pretty in the second position, just two points behind table-toppers Liverpool, although Leicester City could overtake them with a win over Leeds United while Aston Villa and Manchester City both have a game in hand.
