Tottenham are set to face Brighton on Sunday in the Premier League, riding high on a five-game winning streak across all competitions.
This strong run of form marks a solid recovery after a shaky start to the season, but the upcoming fixture presents a new challenge.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, however, has predicted a closely contested match, expecting the game to end in a 2-2 draw.
While acknowledging Spurs’ impressive 3-0 win over Manchester United, Merson pointed out that Brighton will pose a different test altogether.
He highlighted how Brighton played aggressively against top sides like Arsenal and Chelsea, despite their narrow defeat to the Blues last weekend.
Merson implied that Brighton’s attacking style could make this match more challenging than Tottenham’s recent victory at Old Trafford.
Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, the former English footballer stated:
“Tottenham were outstanding the other day against Manchester United.
“Tough game to pick this one. Brighton actually went after both Arsenal and Chelsea, even though they lost to the Blues last weekend.
“Without playing down Tottenham’s win at Old Trafford, I must admit that Manchester United are not Brighton. So you could even argue this is a tougher game.
“If Tottenham get four points from Manchester United and Brighton, that’s not a bad start for them. This is a hard football match and I’m going for a draw.”
Historically, Tottenham have had the upper hand in Premier League encounters with Brighton, winning nine of their 14 meetings and drawing just once. Still, Merson believes a draw would be a reasonable outcome for Spurs given the difficulty of the fixture.
Tottenham also face a few key selection issues ahead of the match. Captain Heung-min Son, along with forwards Richarlison and Wilson Odobert, are sidelined due to injuries. Destiny Udogie remains a doubt, though there is hope he could return to action.
Despite these challenges, Spurs will aim to extend their winning streak and continue their momentum at the Amex Stadium.
