Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton – Predicted lineup and team news

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·18 April 2026

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton – Predicted lineup and team news

Roberto De Zerbi makes his home debut today as Tottenham Hotspur fight for their top-flight lives.

The appointment of the Italian represents a final attempt to avoid a humiliating relegation. Spurs currently sit in the bottom three after losing to Sunderland last weekend. They are two points behind West Ham and desperately need a new-manager bounce. Anything other than a victory could have disastrous consequences for the north London club.

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Tottenham are winless in 14 matches since the start of 2026. This run is their worst since 1935 when they went 16 games without a win. Furthermore, Spurs have won only one of their last 26 matches played between January and May. De Zerbi must now create a tactical setup capable of stopping this accelerating downward spiral.

Tottenham Hotspur team news

A sustained injury crisis has decimated the squad at a critical moment. Cristian Romero is the latest high-profile absentee after suffering a season-ending knee injury. James Maddison is also ruled out for the remainder of the campaign following ACL surgery. These losses leave a massive void in both leadership and creative output.

Antonin Kinsky will continue to deputise in goal this afternoon. Guglielmo Vicario is still not ready to return following his recent hernia operation. Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso are expected to start at the heart of the defence. De Zerbi believes they have the quality to be strong in the defensive phase.

Rodrigo Bentancur has returned to training but is likely to start on the bench. In attack, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison will lead the line for the hosts. Xavi Simons could also be handed a start after appearing as a substitute last week. Spurs must ignite their crowd early to avoid a fifth consecutive home league defeat.

Interestingly, De Zerbi’s first home game for Brighton in 2022 was also against Tottenham. He becomes the first manager to have the same first home fixture for two different clubs. He will hope for a better result than the 1–0 defeat he suffered that day. Only one of the previous 13 Spurs managers has lost their home debut.