Tottenham Hotspur’s top-four ambitions suffered a blow as they lost 4-2 at Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League on Thursday with only a late rally saving them from their heaviest defeat since Ange Postecoglou became manager this season.

Victory would have put injury-hit Spurs above Manchester City into fourth spot but they were mauled on the south coast as a Brighton side also missing key players ran riot.

A powerful early strike by Josh Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro’s penalty gave the
hosts a deserved 2-0 lead at halftime as Tottenham struggled to deal with Brighton’s intensity.

The visitors responded in the second half with Richarlison having a goal disallowed but when half-time substitute Pervis Estupinan sent a thunderbolt past Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario and Joao Pedro netted a second penalty the game seemed over.

However, Tottenham’s late substitute Alejo Veliz fired home from close range in the 75th minute and Ben Davies scored with a header making a miraculous comeback suddenly look possible.

Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hit the post for Spurs in stoppage time as Brighton looked nervy but they held on to move into eighth place in the table on 30 points while Tottenham remain fifth on 36, a point off the top four.

The final scoreline hardly did justice to a chaotic match in which Tottenham were second-best for long periods but showed some spirit to emerge with their pride intact.

However Brighton, without the likes of winger Kaoru Mitoma, Tariq Lamptey, Solly March and Julio Enciso, were worthy winners as they snapped a three-match league sequence without a win.

“It is a very disappointing performance. This is not how we’ve approached the season,” Spurs captain Son Heung-min said.

“This performance was nowhere near the level we want to play at. But now is not the time to point fingers at each other because the games are coming fast.”

Tottenham host in-form Bournemouth on Sunday when they will be without Kulusevski who will be suspended after picking up another booking, while Brighton visit an upbeat West Ham United on January 2.

Tottenham’s defensive problems, made worse by Argentine centre back Cristian Romero having been added to their long injury list, were exposed by Brighton as the hosts dominated the first half.