Tottenham were aiming to win their fifth consecutive league game for the first time since December 2018, but if they want to end a two-season absence from the Champions League, they have to play with much more intensity. Robert Sánchez in Brighton’s goal did not just have a rebound, his job was usually done by a well-organized defense that throws in heroic blocks. Arsenal’s visit to Tottenham on May 12 is now a big one, although Brentford, Leicester and Liverpool need to be discussed first. Brighton’s victory over Arsenal ended a winless streak that included a 2-0 home defeat by the Spurs. Graham Potter, who was linked with a move vacated by Nuno Esprito Santo in early November before Antonio Conte’s appointment, suffered from his side’s inability to score, but always showed the quality of its game throughout barren route. Those two goals at Arsenal accounted for two-thirds of Brighton’s performance in their last eight Premier League games and a team with fewer goals would surely have sealed all three points earlier than the Trossar winner. Alexis McAllister, in a perpetual, grunting motion, buzzes around the intent, while Yves Bisuma deftly patrols in front of a four-man defense. Brighton pushed hard, closing the space before the ball reached Harry Kane in his deep positions. The early dominance of the guests made Conte bark from the edge of this technical space. He stayed there all the time, although the Italian, like his team, seemed less strengthened than normal. The loss of Matt Doherty for the rest of the season had brought Sergio Regillon to the position of left winger in front of Ryan Cessegon. Without the Irishman, a team that had scored 14 goals in four previous games has stopped, although Brighton deserves the credit for cutting the supply lines. It took 15 minutes for Kane to have the ball in the Brighton squares and that proved to be rare. Harry Kane had a hard time making the usual impact on Brighton. Photo: John Patrick Fletcher / Action Plus / Shutterstock Enock Mwepu’s early fizzer looked tied at the end, before beating Ben Davies and back, and then Joël Veltman blocked a shot. Dejan Kuluszewski, who otherwise found it difficult to get into the game, was penalized for throwing an elbow at Marc Cucurella out of frustration. He was as important as the Swede before retiring in favor of Lucas Moura. As Brighton accumulated the pressure of the first half, Rodrigo Bentancourt blocked a shot by Weltman after a corner by Pascal Gross and also received a yellow card for putting Bisuma down in the midfield. The Spurs’ frustration was shared by the home fans who began to smell an archetypal slip. Screams of anticipation were heard when the ball seemed to fall to Kane for a while, only for Cucurella to chase it, followed by moans when the striker broke a lame. Kane quickly regained his pace, if not his influence, and the Spurs entered the half-time break with a long swing afterwards. Much of their energy had been spent to get a second yellow card to Mwepu, first for a clash with Ben Davies and then a tackle on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Both would have been lenient decisions, especially given Kulusevski’s previous escape, but Potter took the hint and sent Zambian away at half-time in favor of Danny Welbeck. The Fiver: sign up and receive our daily football email. As Brighton continued to push into the second half, the Spurs’ frustrations continued. Sean, a former passenger, had a shot blocked by Veltman and then another by Trossar. Just before the hour, Brighton’s problems in scoring goals were seen by a desperate executive from Welbeck, who was greeted with mockery by home fans who sought solace in the midst of their team’s failures. Shortly afterwards, Moisés Caicedo’s first-hand save saved an Emerson Royal error as Brighton continued to threaten, with McAllister also shooting. With Harry Winks entering the midfield, the Spurs strengthened in the last 15 minutes. Højbjerg’s byline run and cutback were not rewarded as Reguilón slipped over the ball. But Brighton had more chances, with Welbeck scoring one of them before Romero slipped as he faced substitute Adam Lallana, giving Trossard a chance to score the winner his team deserved – and Tottenham -.