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A vital win needed for Mourinho as Spurs face Brighton on Boxing Day

Photo: Evening Standard

Spurs will welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Boxing Day as they look to get back to winning ways and back into the top six.

Spurs currently sit seventh in the Premier League, only two points behind Sheffield United who sit in fifth. Brighton are in the bottom half of the table in 13th but, are only six points away from the London club.

Last time out for Spurs, they were unable to beat Jose’s former club, Chelsea. Even though Spurs were at home, they were unable to make it count and eventually lost 2-0 after a first-half brace from Willian secured the Blues the three points.

Brighton also lost to high-flying Sheffield United. A goal from Oli McBurnie in the 23rd minute gave the Blades the lead and ultimately the win over the Seagulls.

Team news

Tottenham are set to be without suspended forward Son Heung-min for three matches, although the club has appealed against the red card he received versus Chelsea on Sunday.

Erik Lamela, Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies remain out.

Brighton have no new injury concerns although the squad is expected to be rotated with two games in three days.

Winger Jose Izquierdo is continuing his recovery from a knee injury in his native Colombia.

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho spoke about how Brighton may play and most importantly, the tactics they may use to cause an upset:

“Brighton are a good team, a team that change very frequently their system, their model of play, they play five at the back, they play with 4-4-2 in a diamond, they play 4-2-3-1, they play 4-3-3, they play 4-3-2-1 without wingers wide, they play in almost every possible tactical system.

“The most important thing is their quality. They have good players, strong players. They have lots of the guys adapted to what football is in England, powerful, tall defenders and in attack, guys with great mobility, guys with speed.

“It’s a good team, a very good team and we felt that when we lost there.”

Brighton boss Graham Potter,talked about the reputation and the high status of Mourinho in the English game:

“Jose Mourinho is a top manager and it’s great to have him back in the Premier League. I have followed his career from the time he arrived in England from Porto.

“It was inspirational the way he conducted himself and since then he’s had an amazing career. He’s someone I am really looking forward to meeting. The manager has changed, but they have still got very good players, who were Champions League finalists not so long ago.

“Obviously, they had a setback against Chelsea, but their results since Mourinho came in have been impressive. It will be a tough game for us for sure.”