Newcastle v Everton: Allardyce has big chance to continue solid start

Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wednesday, 20:00

Spurs buoyed by Stoke win

They may be flying in the Champions League, but it has been a frustrating season so far for Tottenham in the Premier League. Whether it's the Wembley factor, the lack of squad depth or simply a natural dip after the highs of the last couple of campaigns, Mauricio Pochettino's side just don't seem to be quite at their best. Coming into this midweek round, they are level on points with Burnley.

Still, the weekend did them a couple of favours. Their 5-1 cruise against Stoke allowed Harry Kane to regain some momentum, for a start, which was vital after a slow comeback after a minor injury. And with Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all failing to win, Tottenham are actually only a couple of points off the top four. Things could be better, then, but they could also be far worse.

Pochettino is likely stick with most of the XI that started at the weekend, although he will probably rotate the full-backs. Davinson Sánchez is still suspended, meaning Eric Dier is likely to remain in the back four, with Harry Winks a far more slick presence than Moussa Sissoko in central midfield. Son Heung-Min will be hoping to build on his superb displayagainst the Potters.

Brighton up against it

After a confident start to life in the top flight, Brighton have been brought back down to earth with a bump over the last five rounds. The Seagulls have claimed just two points over that spell - underwhelming home draws with Stoke and bitter rivals Crystal Palace - and the defeat to Huddersfield at the weekend left them looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Chris Hughton needs to find a bit of spark from somewhere, but the problem is that his squad doesn't offer many attractive alternatives to his tried-and-tested system. There are a few options out wide - Izzy Brown has come in to compete with Anthony Knockaert, José Izquierdo and Solly March - but elsewhere the cupboard is bare. January reinforcements will surely be needed.

Knockaert could return here after being left out of the squad at the weekend, while it's unlikely Ezequiel Schelotto will be rushed back into the side after a forgettable 45-minute slog against the Terriers. There may also be a temptation to give Pascal Gross a bit of a rest: the German is a key player but his form has tailed off over the last few weeks.

Hosts strong favourites

Tottenham have not always convinced at Wembley this term, but they are unbeaten since losing to Chelsea first up and have won six of their last seven home games across Premier League and Champions League. They should have wind in their sails after the Stoke result and look solid favourites to win here at 1.26.

Brighton look low on confidence, with just one goal in four, so are not attractive longshots even at odds of 15.00. But their ability to keep things relatively tight away from home could help us find some value when it comes to the goal markets...

Low-scoring win on the cards?

Under 2.5 goals is 2.32, which looks generous. Brighton have found the net in just three of their nine games (all competitions) so far this term and have had fewer shots than any other side in the Premier League so far (135). So we won't be relying on them to contribute much to the scoresheet.

At the same time, they did not concede more than two in any of those away games, making things fairly tough for the likes of Watford (0-0), Arsenal (0-2) and Manchester United (0-1). With Tottenham having made heavy work of a number of supposedly lesser opponents at Wembley (1-1 vs Burnley, 0-0 vs Swansea, 1-0 vs Bournemouth, 1-0 vs Crystal Palace, 1-1 vs West Brom), and flaky Stoke not necessarily the ideal barometer, there's a good chance that this will be settled by the odd goal or two.

Being confident about Tottenham's ability to breakthrough, the Correct Score market is more attractive than that unders bet. Dutching the 1-0 and 2-0 wins yields odds of 3.60.

Son the one for hosts

Son Heung-Min has been involved in nine goals in his last 11 competitive appearances for Tottenham (six goals, three assists) and will be in confident mood after slicing through Stoke last time out. 2.38 is the price for an anytime goal.

Recommended Bet
Dutch back Tottenham 1-0 and 2-0 at 3.60