Rutter's stoppage-time goal prevents Spurs from leaving relegation zone
· Yahoo Sports
Georginio Rutter's stoppage-time strike prevented Tottenham Hotspur from ending their winless run against Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Roberto De Zerbi's team looked much improved against the Italian's former club with a bright start to the game.
However, the Seagulls grew into the match as the first half continued and Micky van de Ven got about as lucky as a defender can be when his own clearance bounced off his own post and managed to avoid going in when it then deflected back off him.
Just as Brighton were improving, Spurs took the lead. Xavi Simons chipped in a ball that Bart Verbruggen was nowhere near collecting, allowing Pedro Porro to head into an empty net.
The visitors levelled the score in stoppage time of the first half when Pascal Gross put a cross from deep to find Kaoru Mitoma, who had come on for the injured Diego Gómez earlier in the game. The winger met Gross's ball perfectly and volleyed into the roof of the net.
The second half followed a very similar structure. For the most part, Brighton were just about the better team even if Spurs looked far more competitive then they have done in recent games.
A moment of magic put Tottenham ahead for a second time. Lucas Bergvall, just on the pitch for Conor Gallagher, robbed the ball from the Brighton defender and fed Xavi Simons who got the ball onto his right foot and fired an unstoppable shot in off the post.
It looked like Spurs were going to get themselves out of the relegation zone until the fifth of eight added minutes. Kevin Danso was caught out by Jan Paul van Hecke who pulled the ball back for substitute Georginio Rutter to run on to and fire past Antonin Kinsky and break Spurs hearts.
That result means Tottenham remain 18th in the Premier League and will have to hope West Ham and Nottingham Forest slip up in their games. Brighton meanwhile moved ahead of Everton into ninth.
Incidents: The story of the match
1':
The match begins
Pedro Porro scores for Tottenham Hotspur with a header from the center of the box into the center of the goal, assisted by Xavi Simons. The score is now Tottenham Hotspur 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
39':
GOAL Tottenham: Pedro Porro (Tottenham) scores!
Pedro Porro scores goal number 1 in the competition (29 matches)
The match is now 1-1 as Kaoru Mitoma scores for Brighton and Hove Albion with a left-footed shot from the left side of the box.
45 +3':
GOAL Brighton & Hove Albion: Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion) scores!
Kaoru Mitoma scores goal number 3 in the competition (22 matches)
Xavi Simons scores for Tottenham Hotspur with a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top right corner, assisted by Lucas Bergvall. The score is now Tottenham Hotspur 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
77':
GOAL Tottenham: Xavi Simons (Tottenham) scores!
Xavi Simons scores goal number 2 in the competition (27 matches)
The match is now 2-2 as Georginio Rutter scores for Brighton and Hove Albion with a left-footed shot from the center of the box into the top right corner, assisted by Jan Paul van Hecke.
90 +5':
GOAL Brighton & Hove Albion: Georginio Rutter (Brighton & Hove Albion) scores!
Georginio Rutter scores goal number 3 in the competition (27 matches)
998':
The referee whistles for the end of the match