Postecoglou slams Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou lashed out at his players, labelling their performance “unacceptable” after they squandered a two-goal lead in a shocking 3-2 defeat against Brighton on Sunday.

Spurs appeared to be in control with first-half goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but Brighton mounted a remarkable second-half comeback. Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter, and Danny Welbeck found the back of the net, condemning Tottenham to their third defeat in seven Premier League games.

Postecoglou was furious after seeing his side lose a Premier League match they had led by two or more goals for only the second time in their last 166 games.

“Disappointing. Frustrated and gutted with that. Worst defeat since I’ve been here. Unacceptable second half,” the Australian coach fumed. “Nowhere near where we should be. We got carried away with how we were going.”

The defeat marked a jarring end to Tottenham’s five-game winning streak across all competitions, leaving them ninth in the league. The international break gives them time to reflect on the loss before they face West Ham, but Postecoglou was visibly upset by the lack of competitiveness from his players.

“We lost all our duels and if you’re not competitive, it’s not going to work. We were not competitive,” Postecoglou admitted. “There is no message [to the players]. It is a terrible loss for us, as bad as it gets. Only one way to fix it, and that’s my responsibility.”

Taking personal accountability, he added, “We’ve conceded before, but it’s about how you react. Our reaction wasn’t what it should be. It’s a bad day, and when it’s a bad day, the responsibility falls at my feet.”