Notebook - Spurs vs Brighton

Our Premier League campaign continues in earnest this weekend as we welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Ahead of the match, here are the game’s key points of note…

1 – Cristian’s home comforts

After back-to-back away draws against Southampton (3-3) and Everton (1-1), we return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Cristian Stellini’s first home match as Acting Head Coach. When stepping in for Antoni Conte during our former Head Coach's time away from the Club through illness, Cristian won each of his matches in N17 - standing in for victories over Manchester City (1-0), West Ham United (2-0) and Chelsea (2-0) before Conte returned for the clash with Nottingham Forest (3-1) . Now we chase our fifth straight home win. None of our last nine managers have lost their first home match in the league (W7 D2).

Watch - Cristian's pre-match thoughts on Brighton

2 – Last time out against the Seagulls

A fitting tribute to Gian Piero

In the reverse fixture in October, we paid the perfect tribute to the passing of our fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone as we dug deep to win 1-0 at the Amex Stadium.

Our players warmed up in t-shirts honouring the 61-year-old with ‘Always in our hearts, Gian Piero’ on the front, and the emotions were clear to see when the team celebrated Harry Kane’s first-half winner with Harry pointing to the sky in tribute to the Italian.

The full-time scenes were just as emotional, with supporters flying Italian flags in the away end as captain Hugo Lloris held aloft a shirt with Gian Piero's name on to the away end at the Amex Stadium.

3 - Home record vs Brighton

Since Brighton’s promotion to the top flight in 2017, we have won four of our five home league games against the Seagulls, although we did lose this game 1-0 last season via Leandro Trossard’s 90^th-minute goal.

4 – Battle for Europe

As the race for European places reaches the final straight, we are three points off a Champions League spot in fifth and have two home games up next as we push to secure another top-four finish.

One place and four points behind us in sixth, and with two games in hand, the European dream is alive for Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton. Unbeaten in five league games (3W 2D) and with an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley on the horizon, the south coast side are enjoying their best season in the top flight as they look to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.

5 – Attacking Seagulls

De Zerbi has been drawing plaudits for his side’s attacking brand of football this season. Brighton are fourth for goals scored (51) in the top flight – behind Manchester City, Arsenal and us – and sit third behind the league’s top two for expected goals (50.7). In an attacking sense, Albion’s midfield has been the main source for goals with Alexis Mac Allister (8), Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March (both 7), and Pascal Groß (6) leading the scoring charts. March (5 assists) and Mitoma (4 assists) have been a real threat in the final third with 23 goal involvements between them this campaign.

6 – Pascal the provider

With five assists in the league this season, Groß’ goal involvements from midfield have been invaluable to the Seagulls (11). The German seems to enjoy this fixture, assisting Brighton’s last four goals against us in the league and has five goal contributions (1 goal) - he has only enjoyed more success against West Ham (9) and Manchester United (7).

7 – Expect second-half goals

Of our 53 goals in the Premier league This season, 66 per cent have come in the second half (35), the highest proportion of any team. To add to this, 15 of Brighton’s last 18 goals in London have come in the second half, only scoring in the first half in three of their last 17 league visits to the capital.

8 – Harry’s record against Brighton

Harry Kane has scored nine goals in 11 appearances against the Seagulls in all competitions and, if he were to score on Saturday, our opponents could become the ninth team he has reached double figures against in his career - he has managed the feat against Leicester City, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, West Ham, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Stoke City so far. Our record goal scorer has netted 11 in his last 13 games in N17 and is two home goals away from becoming the first player to reach home and away centuries in Premier League history.