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LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane struck a late winner in a fiery 2-1 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday to boost his side's hopes of a top-four finish.
Son Heung-min's 100th Premier League goal, a superb curler in the 10th minute, had given Spurs the lead against the run of play.
Son goal vs. Brighton
HEUNG-MIN SON WITH A SCREAMER FOR HIS 100TH PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL!
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 8, 2023
Son Heung-min is the first Asian player in Premier League history to score 100 goals in the competition.
Another picture-perfect finish. pic.twitter.com/fY4iyFNOnK— Squawka (@Squawka) April 8, 2023
#SonHeungMin scored his 100th Premier League goal in Tottenham’s match against Brighton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. He dedicated the goal to his late maternal grandfather by pointing to the sky after scoring. pic.twitter.com/vBQTKiIf5A
— ؘ (@shmpics) April 8, 2023
Brighton levelled through Lewis Dunk in the 34th.
Brighton were by far the better side and had two goals ruled out although the biggest talking point until Kane's 79th-minute winner was an altercation between Tottenham caretaker manager Cristian Stellini and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
Both men were red-carded in the second half following a melee which had been brewing since the Italian pair exchanged angry words before the game kicked off.
Things have been heated in North London between the Tottenham and Brighton managers and now tensions have boiled over between the coaching staffs.
Both Roberto Di Zerbi and Cristian Stellini have both been issued red cards.
: @peacock | #TOTBHA pic.twitter.com/kSaHpWantz— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 8, 2023
England striker Kane at least sent the Spurs fans home happy as his deflected shot from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg beat Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele.
Who else but Harry Kane to put Tottenham into the lead!
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 8, 2023
Victory kept Tottenham in fifth place with 53 points but they have played a game more than Manchester United in fourth and Newcastle United who both have 56 after wins on Saturday.
Brighton's hopes of gate-crashing the top-four battle took a big knock and they dropped to seventh with 46 points.
After two costly draws against struggling Southampton and Everton, Tottenham's season appeared to be petering with grumbling from the stands but the reliable duo of Son and Kane at least kept them in the hunt for the top four.
Son's 10th-minute opener was the kind of goal he used to score for fun but has been sadly missing this season.
Cutting in from the left he curled an unstoppable shot into the opposite top corner to become the first Asian player to score a century of goals in the Premier League.
He dedicated the goal to his grandfather who recently died.
"Scoring 100 goals in the Premier League is a massive thing. I was really emotional because I have had tough moments in the last few weeks," he said.
"I hope all the Asian players — especially in South Korea — look at this achievement and believe they can do it as well."
While Tottenham's fans celebrated the win, it was another lackluster display from their side and Brighton will wonder how Dunk's 34th-minute header from a corner was their only reward for a display that was too lively for their hosts at times.
Home defender Eric Dier cleared a Kaoru Mitoma corner off the line early on, Mitoma had an effort ruled out for offside and Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris was forced into saves from Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.
Solly March fired wide after Dunk's equalizer and Brighton thought they had taken the lead after the break only for Welbeck's effort to be ruled out by VAR because it had brushed Mac Allister's arm on the way into the net.
Tempers boiled over on the touchline as De Zerbi and Stellini got into a furious argument that briefly stopped play before referee Stuart Attwell dismissed both men who continued their verbal slanging match down the tunnel.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
