FA Premier League
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (Sarr 62 Johnson 90+5)
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION 1 (Gross 16)

IT was a precious three points from a performance most would like to forget with the late winner from Brennan Johnson against Brighton today (Saturday) delivering a momentum-building victory which lifted Spurs back into the top four.

Pascal Gross had given the visitors a deserved lead on 16 minutes from the penalty spot, but two second half goals – the decisive moment coming after five minutes of stoppage time by substitute Johnson – keeps the Champions League qualification dream alive.

Speaking afterwards, manager Ange Postecoglou praised the impact of Heung Min Son, back from representing South Korea at the Asia Cup and whose assist brought the winner.

He said: “I think he’s a world-class player. You look at his record in the Premier League, the toughest league in the world, his goal contributions irrespective of how the team’s gone through the time he’s been here have always been right up there.”

Postecoglou could call on Son and Yves Bissouma as second half substitutions and for the first time since he took the helm at Spurs, he had all his key squad members available.

He said: “We could bring on players like Brennan and Sonny in that moment, the quality they have…Brighton were doing really well, but they were working really hard to stay in the game. You know they’re going to get tired, the fact that we could bring on two attacking players who are going to be a threat.

“Sonny is world class, and he makes a difficult pass look pretty elementary and Brennan –  it’s not an easy finish, particularly knowing what’s at stake. He held it really well.”

The full deck of players saw Postecoglou tweak his first XI.

Pape Matar Sarr stepped in for Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Dejan Kulusevski replaced Johnson.

Captain Son was able to fill a spot on the bench, as was Bissouma, whose Mali side were knocked out at the quarter final stages of Afcon.

Brighton were missing their cheeky Brazilian winger Joao Pedro, the team’s top scorer this term, while young hot shot Evan Fergsuon was left on the bench. The Seagulls have been topsy-turvy recently: losing 4-0 to Luton and then hammering rivals Crystal Palace 4-1 the following week.

It has been a tricky recent spell, with two wins in eight – the other being their thumping of Spurs 4-2 over the Christmas period.

In that game they raced into a 4-0 lead and today the Brighton opener looked like it was coming from the first minute. Tottenham keeper Gugliemo Vicario had to save sharply after Danny Welbeck broke and Brighton looked fresher and faster to everything.

The penalty came as Spurs tried to play the ball out. James Maddison got caught with the ball and Micky van de Ven tripped Welbeck as he tried to get across and cancel out the danger.

Gross sent Vicario the wrong way from 12 yards. Then Cristian Romero’s frustrations boiled over and he clumped Adam Lallana. It did not bode well.

Spurs finally came alive after 22 minutes when Maddison played in Richarlison but he couldn’t lift his effort over the keeper.

Then the midfield string-puller drifted into a dangerous spot but his far post curler was an inch wide. Dejan Kulusevski also got into a scoring position but under pressure took a tumble and as he went down his effort was tame enough for Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele to get to without much bother.

It was the excellent Sarr who evened things up after he carried the ball deep into Brighton territory and smartly tucked away his goal from a tight angle, but after clawing back a goal Spurs strangely took their foot off the gas again, and either side could have grabbed a winner.

Substitute Johnson was guilty on a couple of occasions of not being brave enough and pulling out of balls he didn’t fancy chasing after, while Son looked eager but ineffective.

But the two combined at the end of a flowing Spurs move that was started by another substitute, Ben Davies. It went through Maddison and Richarlison before Son got down the flank and laid an inch perfect pass across to the back post, which Johnson eagerly accepted.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: Vicario, Porro, Romero (c), van de Ven, Udogie (Hojbjerg 79), Bentancur (Son 61), Sarr (Davies 79), Maddison, Kulusevski (Bissouma 62), Richarlison, Werner (Johnson 62).

Substitutes not used: Forster, Royal, Dragusin, Skipp, Bryan

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION: Steele, Lamptey, Dunk (c), Gilmour (Baker-Boaitey 90), Groß Lallana (Fati 56), Welbeck (Ferguson 82), Mitoma, Van Hecke, Estupinan, Buonanotte.

Substitutes not used: Verbruggen, Webster, Moder, Baleba, Veltman, O’Mahony.