Sloppy Tottenham held by resolute Brighton

Thursday, 19 April 2018 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

(Reuters): Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday (17 April), giving fresh hope to Chelsea in the battle for a Premier League top-four finish while edging the hosts further away from the relegation zone.

A tame encounter sprung to life early in the second half when England forward Harry Kane fired Tottenham ahead with his 26th league goal of the season, but the advantage was short-lived as Brighton won a penalty within seconds of the restart.

Spurs full back Serge Aurier clipped the heels of Jose Izquierdo, and Pascal Gross managed to squeeze his spot kick past keeper Hugo Lloris to the relief of the home fans.

The draw left fourth-placed Tottenham eight points clear of Chelsea in fifth, but last season’s champions have a game in hand in the battle to secure Champions League qualification.

Brighton are 13th, eight points clear of the drop zone.