De Zerbi takes charge of his first home game against Brighton.
Tottenham are staring into a possible relegation going into the final games of the season, and today they host Brighton, and this one carries a different kind of weight, and it is not just because the Lilywhites are staring down the table with six games of the campaign to go with everything on the line but more because standing in the opposite dugout is where Roberto De Zerbi built his entire reputation.
And the Seagulls come to North London flying high while Tottenham still search for a sense of stability under De Zerbi.
The 46-year-old’s first game in charge, donning the Spurs badge on his blazer, felt like it could go either way for about an hour. But then the Tottenham of this season came afloat with a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland with no goals but another injury and that same sinking feeling that has followed the Lilywhites around for months now, but there were hints of structure with moments where you could see what De Zerbi wants to implement, but right now this lot of fans do not need hints but results (and that is what Tottenham need as well).
Tottenham need points, and given the current run of 14 games without a win in 2026, it tells you exactly how bad it has been at Hotspur Way since the turn of the year (ideally this season).
If the Lilywhites are stuck in a loop of defeats, the Seagulls are moving exactly in the opposite direction, with Fabian Hurzeler & Co. having three wins from three whilst accumulating fifteen points from their last six games. They are looking like a team that looks completely clear in what it wants to do.
And they also have a strong away form coming into the game with three consecutive wins on the road, and that’s all with clean sheets.
Tottenham vs Brighton Match Info
Date: 18th April 2026
Time: 17:30 BST
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have been dealing with a lot of injuries in the past couple of seasons. And every week in the ongoing campaign has given a new injury blow to deal with, and this one was heavy, as Cristian Romero is expected to miss the rest of the season after he went off in tears against the Black Cats last week.
The Argentine now joins a list that already includes the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus on the treatment table. Alongside them, both Guglielmo Vicario and Rodrigo Bentancur also remain doubtful for the game.
This leaves De Zerbi piecing together a side (much like his predecessors in Tudor and Frank) rather than shaping one.
Brighton
Hurzeler will be missing a defender of his own with Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk serving suspension for the game which will be his second of a two-game ban for taking up 10 yellow cards this season.
Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas will accompany their skipper in the stands with knee problems.
Veteran midfielder James Milner remains a doubt after he picked up a minor injury in training last week.
Predicted Lineup
Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Gallagher; Tel, Simons, Richarlison; Solanke
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gross; Gomez, Hinshelwood, Minteh; Welbeck
Prediction
There is a game where Tottenham will have to respond, especially before it’s too late and every game becomes a do or die. A win here will lift the crowd, and this desperation of a feeling at N17 will turn into intensity.
But right now, it is hard to ignore the direction of both teams and the form that Brighton are in. This is exactly why we think Seagulls will pick up all points later today.
Tottenham 1 – 2 Brighton