The Media Review: Tottenham dismantled on the final day

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The media reacts to our brilliant 4-1 win at Tottenham.

Nick Szczepanik

2025-05-26T10:55+01:00

Matt O'Riley scored a penalty late on after Diego Gomez was brought down by Yves Bissouma. 📷 by James Boardman.

Albion were never going to spoil Spurs’ party on Sunday despite a scintillating 4-1 win, and neither were they ever going to persuade the reporters in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium press box to make the story about the team in yellow - even if the European dream had stayed alive.

But the contrast between the performances of the side celebrating a European trophy win and the one marking its second-highest Premier League finish made for some entertaining copy. Jim White came up with the best lines in The Daily Telegraph.

“It was hard to believe as the final whistle sounded, watching the flags being waved in every corner of the Tottenham Stadium, listening to the swell of noise tumbling from the stands, that Spurs had just lost 4-1,” he wrote. “This was the kind of joy even evisceration by Brighton was not going to curtail.

“This was Spurs’ problem: they weren’t playing Manchester United. They were up against a progressive, smart, clever outfit. With Kaoru Mitoma introduced at the break and immediately darting behind the home backline, everyone in white seemed infected with panic and flutter.

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Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls finish the season in style with a 4-1 victory over Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Jack Hinshelwood, Matt O'Riley and Diego Gomez all hit the target to give Albion a comfortable win and all three points. Club Photographer James Boardman was in North London to capture the action

“First Jack Hinshelwood equalised, smacking home a rebound after a corner had pinged around the Spurs area. Then from yet another corner won by Mitoma's jinking and darting, Hinshelwood cheekily backheeled another.

“After a penalty conceded by the kind of mistimed tackle that suggested the substitute Yves Bissouma had been celebrating enthusiastically since Wednesday, which Matt O’Riley duly finished with aplomb, Brighton got a fourth with a cracker of a shot from Diego Gomez. Thanks to results elsewhere it was not enough to see the Seagulls flying into Europe next season. But their fans nonetheless relished the moment.”

Tom Barclay of The Sun recalled that “Brighton had a dramatic second-half turnaround in the reverse of this fixture back in October, coming from 2-0 down at the break to win 3-2. It was a hugely damaging loss for Postecolgou, exposing a fragility that would crop up time and again in the league.

“And here it was a story of another fightback following the interval for Fabian Hurzeler’s side for a win that secured them an eighth-placed finish. The 32-year-old Albion chief sparked it with an inspired double half-time substitution, bringing on Gomez and Bayern Munich target Kaoru Mitoma.

“Suddenly, the visitors upped the intensity - while Spurs’ interval swap Wilson Odobert produced a first touch that suggested a heavy few days celebrating had preceded it.

“Brighton’s first two goals were almost identical to each other, and not just via the goal-scorer Hinshelwood. They both came from corners that Spurs failed to clear and there was England Under-21 star Hinshelwood, Johnny on the spot, to stick away the loose ball. His first strike was a clinical blast into the roof of the net on 51 minutes, his second a clever backheel 13 minutes later.

“The travelling fans mocked their hosts with chants of ‘Champions of Europe, you’re having a laugh’ and telling Postecoglou ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’. That turned into ‘You lucky b***ards, you should have gone down' after O’Riley’s spot-kick made it 3-1 late on.

"The penalty was awarded when sub Yves Bissouma caught Gomez with a tackle that suggested a hangover. With regular-taker Joao Pedro not in the squad, the ball was handed to O’Riley who curled it home. It got worse when Gomez curled home a 30-yard peach to rubber-stamp the victory, before bursting into tears in celebration.”

David Hytner of The Guardian had kept an eye on events elsewhere, writing that “the visitors needed to wake up because with Brentford winning at Wolves, they could feel their grip on eighth loosening. Fabian Hürzeler made half-time changes, introducing Kaoru Mitoma and Gómez, dropping Hinshelwood into a deeper midfield role.

“Brighton stirred, coming to dominate. Carlos Baleba exerted himself in midfield, Mitoma made a difference. The equaliser came when Adam Webster attacked a corner and the ball fell kindly for Hinshelwood.

“Brennan Johnson fluffed a decent chance on 56 minutes but it was all Brighton, Hürzeler’s team creating a fistful of chances. Vicario saved from Gómez and the dangerous Yankuba Minteh, who also saw a shot blocked by Kevin Danso. Baleba rattled an upright.

“Brighton had advertised the next goal and Hinshelwood got it from another corner, Spurs again defending weakly. This time, he had his back to goal when the ball ricocheted for him. The improvised backheeled finish was a beauty. It was a tired challenge by the Spurs substitute Yves Bissouma on Gómez to concede the penalty converted by Matt O’Riley. And it was Gómez who had the last word, curling home his first Brighton goal from distance.”

Delight for Diego Gomez after he scored his first Albion goal with a brilliant stoppage-time strike. 📷 James Boardman.

Matt Barlow of The Daily Mail spotted that “Brighton finished the season in eighth with 61 points, only one off their best tally. Results elsewhere meant it was not enough for a return to European competition, but Fabian Hurzeler was satisfied with his debut Premier League season.”

Sean Kearns, writing on the BBC website, thought that “even against a Spurs side nursing some sore heads, this was a performance to be proud of from Brighton.

“They seemed surprised by Spurs' early endeavour, perhaps expecting a more languid display from the home side. But they got to grips with the game midway through the first half and really clicked into gear following Mitoma's introduction at the break.

“He was instrumental in running against tired legs, and earned the corner which led to Hinshelwood's equaliser. Fresh from his winner against Liverpool last week, the young Englishman smashed in from close range.

“If his equaliser was crucial, his second was even better as he sharply backheeled a stunning effort past Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. The goal relaxed the away side, who knew a point would be enough to seal eighth spot and that European qualification was essentially out of their hands as it required Chelsea to finish seventh and to win the Conference League.

“But the Seagulls continued in search of more goals, finding a third through O'Riley from the spot for his first goal since November. The pick of the bunch came late on from Gomez, when the Paraguayan curled a stunning effort past Vicario from long range in injury time.”