Seagulls soar over north London as sleepy Spurs slump

“A round of applause for Brighton after they beat Arsenal last week,” suggested Alan Mullery to the Tottenham fans at half-time. Around 45 minutes later, the hosts were feeling significantly less magnanimous towards their visitors while they wiped Seagull s*** off their Champions League ambitions.

On successive Saturdays, Brighton have gone to north London and taken maximum points to impose upon the Gunners and Spurs an all too familiar sense of crisis. In recent weeks, Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte have each claimed the ascendency in the battle for the final top-four spot but neither set of players appear capable of clinging to it.

We almost know to expect it from Arsenal. For all the strides Arteta has made with the Gunners, they have never banished the feeling that calamity is always just around the corner. But Spurs aren’t supposed to be Spursy anymore. Not since Conte got his feet under the table and asserted his authority.

Lacazette second in worst 10 PL finishers owned by their xG…

So it was more surprising than perhaps it ought to have been when Tottenham spent their Easter Saturday afternoon slumbering around in the sunshine while Brighton painted north London blue and white. Or whatever shade of turquoise they were sporting.

Even Conte was subdued. The Italian has had a dose of the ‘rona in recent days which would excuse his lack of animation on the touchline. Without it, though, Tottenham took their lead from the manager and appeared unwilling or incapable of rousing themselves.

A draw would have been seen as a poor result for Spurs as the finishing line comes into sight but it would have been a point they barely deserved. Brighton were the better team across the thirds and Leandro Trossard’s superb