Sutton's predictions: Tottenham v Brightonpublished at 12:19 BST 18 April
12:19 BST 18 April
After Spurs lost to Sunderland in his first match in charge, Roberto de Zerbi said his players need a father figure, not a coach. He is trying to build their confidence but maybe that means he is not coaching them the way he wants to.
It's a bit of a head-scratcher, but then Tottenham's entire season has not made much sense. When you look at their team and their bench, they have got some incredible players.
Somehow, though, Spurs are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the year after playing 14 league games already in 2026. Looking at the table, they will need three wins, or at least two, from their final six games if they are going to climb out of the relegation zone and stay up.
They really should not be in this position but I am not sure they have got the stomach to get out of it now they are.
I just don't think they will get one of those wins against Brighton, who have come into a bit of form.
The Seagulls are on a run of three successive victories and have five wins in their past six games. I can see things going wrong for De Zerbi against his old club, so I am backing Brighton to nick the points here.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Brighton", for instance.
Tottenham v Brighton: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:03 BST 17 April
19:03 BST 17 April
Beleaguered Tottenham are without a league win in 2026, so can Roberto de Zerbi inspire them to victory in his first home match in charge against his former side Brighton on Saturday (17:30 BST)? BBC Sport looks at the key themes around the fixture.
Spurs close to unwanted home record
If their situation wasn't already serious enough, a morale-sapping weekend of results brought into even sharper focus just how much trouble Tottenham are in.
West Ham's crushing victory over Wolves, Nottingham Forest's battling point against Aston Villa and Leeds United's historic triumph at Old Trafford were sandwiched by a toothless defeat for Spurs at Sunderland in which they also lost captain Cristian Romero for the season.
There were only limited signs of a "new manager bounce" for Roberto de Zerbi in his first match in charge. He's since had another week on the training ground to try to instil some belief in his fragile squad. "I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach," he said of his plans to lift spirits.
The only one of Spurs' last 13 managers to lose their opening home game was his much-maligned predecessor Igor Tudor. Their home form remains an ongoing issue and if they are beaten again on Saturday, the Lilywhites will equal their club record of five successive home league losses set in February 1994.
So dismal have their performances been in front of their own fans that their tally of 10 home points is just one more than Brighton have picked up in their last three league matches alone.
Overall, Tottenham's winless streak in the league of 14 matches - dating back to 28 December - is just two shy of the longest such run in their history of 16 set between December 1934 and April 1935.
They also remain one of only two top-flight sides yet to win a match after failing behind along with Wolves.
Seagulls having flying end to season
In yet further bad news for Spurs and De Zerbi, his former side Brighton proudly sit on top of the Premier League form table having won five of their last six matches.
It is as many victories at they had managed in their previous 20 top-flight league games combined and has quelled rumours that Fabian Hurzeler's job was under threat.
Another three points would give them a fourth away win on the spin for the very first time in the top flight. The last time they conceded a goal on the road was on 11 February.
Their resurgence after such a tricky winter has firmly propelled them back into the mix for European football and they are only six points adrift of a Champions League place.
They have also enjoyed an excellent recent record against Tottenham, having lost just one of their last five against the north Londoners, scoring 14 goals in those matches, including four at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the final game of last season.
Hurzeler on De Zerbi, winning run and making fans proudpublished at 11:31 BST 17 April
11:31 BST 17 April
Holly Bacon BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham at the Totteham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 17:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Hurzeler said James Milner is still out but is "getting close" to a return. There was nothing else to report on team news.
The Brighton boss says his predecessor Roberto De Zerbi is due recognition for his achievements with the Seagulls but maintains his full focus is on winning the game: "I think he deserves the praise because he had a huge impact here on this club. He had great achievements with the players. He reached Europe for the first time so he deserves this praise. On the other side, when the whistle starts, it's a game between Brighton and Tottenham and our approach is the same. We are there to achieve something, we are there to win this game. We are there to keep showing the right habits and therefore that's our main focus."
Hurzeler said "form doesn't win you games" and that they have a responsibility to "show the right habits".
On Albion's upturn in form, he added: "Before we had this run now, our performances weren't bad, the only difference was that we weren't able to get the results. It is not a surprise for us." He also said the supporters are key and that they can really compete with that "togetherness".
Hurzeler was asked whether he is surprised at the situation Spurs find themselves in: "I think everyone is a little bit surprised but on the other hand it's very important to understand how ruthless the Premier League can be, how tight the Premier League is. You need to be at your highest level every weekend. We experienced, with a bad run this season, if you're not doing the right behaviour daily then you have no chance at the weekend."
Finally on Saturday's game, the Brighton boss said: "Our goal is that we make our supporters loud, proud and therefore we need to have our style of play. We need to go there and play intense football, don't give them any hope and be very mature in our approach."
'Good for the future' but Hurzeler 'must learn' - fans on manager's positionpublished at 15:54 BST 16 April
15:54 BST 16 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Fabian Hurzeler has won fans over given a surge in recent form off the back of a difficult spell early in 2026.
Here are some of your comments:
Chris: I think he has a bright future. However, his naivety and lack of Premier League experience has been exposed at times this season. That said, when it comes to giving a manager time to develop, you couldn't pick a better club than Brighton. Tony Bloom doesn't panic and always sees the bigger picture.
Colin: Criticism of our manager at any point since his arrival has been laughable. He's been consistently excellent and is improving all the time. It was only a minority who dissented during our bad run and anyone with any sense could see that the performances were better than the results. I hope he stays for 10 years.
Tony: I have mostly been a 'Hurzeler in' fan but at times this season we seem to have gone backwards and at times the subs and tactics have been baffling. Having said that we now seem to be playing with more composure and a more attacking style. All is good for the future.
Westy: Has Hurzeler won me over? Maybe. In my case, the frustration and annoyance came from him making life hard for himself. I knew we could get results and be better, and now we are. The constant tinkering and playing players out of position was infuriating. The two times this season we've had a settled team are the the spells we've got results. He must learn from this.
Sam: I'm not sure it was ever a results issue. The frustration from the majority of fans came from a lack of connection with the manager. If those results had happened and Hurzeler had built a connection, the response wouldn't have been as extreme. Has he won over the fans? There is still work for him to do, but recent appearances from him at full time, rather than disappearing down the tunnel, certainly go a long way to building a connection that had been missing.
Chris: He's presided over two big dips in form. One each season. There's got to be big question marks over his confidence and how he passes that into our young players.
