Rutter's stoppage-time strike rescues a point for Brighton and leaves Spurs still in the relegation zone
For about 13 minutes on Saturday evening, it looked like Roberto De Zerbi’s home debut was going to be the moment Tottenham’s season turned. Xavi Simons had curled in a brilliant 77th-minute finish, the crowd at home was finally making the noise of a team trying to rescue a season, and the scoreboard read 2-1. Then Kevin Danso gave the ball away in the fifth minute of added time, Georginio Rutter took a touch and bent a shot into the far corner, and the winless run ticked over to 15.
It was a cruel way to lose two points. It was also, in an odd way, a fitting one. This is a Tottenham team that has spent the entire calendar year finding new ways to drop points. They have not won a Premier League game in 2026. They stay in the bottom three with five games left to save their top-flight status.
Porro, Mitoma, Simons, Rutter
Pedro Porro put Spurs ahead in the 39th minute, converting after a smart ball from Simons. Brighton’s response was almost immediate. Kaoru Mitoma equalised in first-half stoppage time, and the teams went in level at 1-1 at the break.
Simons’ second-half strike was the kind of goal that normally wins games at this level. Cutting in from the right, he shifted the ball and found the top corner. The only problem was what came after. Brighton kept pushing, Danso was caught in possession near his own area, and Rutter did the rest.
Relegation worst-case now a realistic one
Tottenham’s 15-match winless run in the Premier League is their worst since 1935. The three other English top-flight teams to suffer longer winless runs in the three points for a win era (Derby in 2007-08, Sunderland in 2002-03 and Swindon in 1993-94) were all relegated in those seasons. Spurs’ last drop out of the top division was in 1977.
De Zerbi said after the game that he still believes the players can win all five remaining games. He has to say that. The schedule, the form, and the fragility on show in stoppage time on Saturday all suggest otherwise. Brighton, meanwhile, climbed another small step towards European contention with a point at a ground where they needed one.
Cricket Updates
