Wild Celebrations To Verge Of Tears - Time Running Out For Spurs

ByHarry Poole

BBC Sport journalist

From ecstasy to agony successful nether 20 minutes.

The affectional rollercoaster knowledgeable by Tottenham Hotspur fans successful nan closing stages of Saturday's tie pinch Brighton apt hinted astatine what is yet to come.

Xavi Simons had led his team-mates successful joyous celebration, nan Spurs supporters joining successful a corporate merchandise of pent-up emotion, aft nan 22-year-old's awesome onslaught put Roberto de Zerbi's broadside connected people for a first Premier League triumph since 28 December.

But those scenes proved premature when, successful nan 5th infinitesimal of 8 added for stoppage time, Brighton's Georginio Rutter delivered a devastating sucker-punch.

It near Spurs still 1 constituent adrift of information pinch conscionable 5 games remaining - a business which could worsen pinch relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham yet to play - expanding their fears of a first top-flight relegation since 1977.

"It's for illustration a conclusion because we conceded a extremity successful other time, but we played a awesome game," Tottenham caput coach De Zerbi told BBC Sport.

"It's reliable to accept. We person to beryllium stronger than this infinitesimal we are going through. We person to move connected and hole for nan adjacent game."

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand told Sky Sports: "If that was nan 90th infinitesimal I could understand it, but location was a batch of shot still to beryllium played.

"The guidance should beryllium to support it tight, alternatively they jumped into nan crowd."

But ex-Premier League defender Ashley Williams told BBC Sport he had "no issue" pinch Spurs' celebrations.

"The extremity was truthful important astatine that constituent successful time. I cognize location were still minutes to beryllium played, but pinch nan guidance and nan emotion you could spot what it meant to nan players," Williams said.

Despite nan overwhelming consciousness of disappointment astatine full-time, De Zerbi has seen capable to judge his players tin flight their perilous situation.

"This squad is capable to triumph 5 games successful a row," nan Italian told nan media.

On nan surface, that religion would look wholly unfounded.

Spurs' winless tally successful nan convention now stands astatine 15 matches, conscionable 1 short of nan club's worst-ever winless convention tally group 91 years ago.

It is bottommost nine Wolves - who will beryllium relegated if West Ham gain astatine slightest a constituent against Crystal Palace connected Monday - against whom Spurs will activity to debar equalling that streak endured betwixt 1934 and 1935.

"I judge successful my players and they person to judge successful me. We can't deliberation successful nan past. We person capable time, we person capable quality," De Zerbi said.

"I don't for illustration group who outcry aliases deliberation excessively negatively."

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro told BBC Sport: "I deliberation aft nan crippled we don't person clip for nan disappointment. For maine and my team-mates, nan champion point is support pushing, support going.

"I deliberation nan squad coming was very good. The astir important point now is staying positive."

Only nan Championship's rock-bottom nine Sheffield Wednesday person picked up less points (four) than Spurs (six) crossed English football's apical 4 tiers successful 2026.

De Zerbi has been clear that his contiguous attraction is connected restoring assurance successful a group of players who person now grounded to triumph each of their past 5 Premier League games successful which they person led.

There were signs of encouragement for nan erstwhile Seagulls leader successful that regard, arsenic his players demonstrated nan conflict they must show complete their remaining games successful going toe-to-toe pinch nan league's shape team.

There was origin for optimism connected nan squad sheet, too, arsenic semipermanent absentees Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison were fresh capable to commencement and make nan chair respectively.

De Zerbi besides praised nan fans, whom he will dream tin recreate nan aforesaid ambiance successful nan club's last location fixtures against Leeds and Everton.

"We person to opportunity acknowledgment to our fans. They were fantastic, they helped nan players a batch before, during and astatine nan extremity of nan game," said De Zerbi.

"The players person to consciousness fortunate because it's not normal that a stadium is for illustration this if you are fighting relegation."

Former Spurs defender Michael Dawson, speaking connected Sky Sports, said: "They person to return nan positives. This will consciousness for illustration a loss, it was a chance to move their fortunes around.

"That is thing they will person to woody with. I saw nan hunger, desire and commitment. De Zerbi was passionate connected nan touchline.

"I saw thing successful that crippled - it has restored immoderate belief, but this is simply a starting block."

Spurs recreation to Wolves adjacent weekend, past look difficult trips to European hopefuls Aston Villa and Chelsea successful hunt of important points.

The task for De Zerbi now is lifting his players aft coming wrong only a fewer minutes of achieving a momentous victory, nan devastation evident connected his players' faces astatine nan full-time whistle.

On what he said to his players aft nan game, De Zerbi told Sky Sports: "I said to beryllium strong, to travel maine again because I want to thief them.

"They tin alteration nan mentality, that is nan astir important part. Now it's excessively easy to deliberation negatively, but we person to beryllium focused and activity to find nan information to triumph again.

"Until nan extremity we will conflict successful each crippled and springiness our best. If we are capable to springiness our best, it's not vanished yet.

"Today I saw signs. I saw blood, character, qualities, organisation pinch and without nan ball. Everything to scope our target."

Spurs' situation could yet go greater earlier they adjacent footwear a ball, however, pinch Nottingham Forest hosting Burnley and West Ham taking connected Crystal Palace complete nan adjacent 2 days.

"Now they person to beryllium nervously and watch Nottingham Forest and West Ham play," erstwhile Premier League midfielder Andy Reid told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If some of those teams get wins, this constituent turns retired to beryllium not truthful great. It is an anxious mates of days ahead."