Tottenham’s luck changing at Wembley

Tottenham 2 - Brighton 0: Tottenham, who seem to be playing the Premier League in the shadow of their own Champions League excitement, needed a fortunate goal from defender Serge Aurier and a late deflected Heung-min Son effort to beat Brighton and keep their top-four challenge alive.

Aurier’s over-hit cross after 40 minutes ended up in the net before Son’s 87th minute sealed a 2-0 victory which moves Spurs into fourth place, above bitter rivals Arsenal, but it was a laboured display which made manager Mauricio Pochettino’s assertion that his team are already out of the title race look worryingly accuurate.

In days gone by, this would have been seen as a decent victory, and in terms of the scoreline it certainly was. But the powerful combination of Wembley and the Champions League is a mixed blessing for Spurs this season - because although playing at the iconic stadium has raised the profile of the club across the world and inspired them to finish above Real in the group stage, it has also raised the bar in terms of what now excites their fans.