Brighton’s midfield runs provide Mourinho’s Tottenham with the ultimate mirror-test

In 1970, American Psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. developed the mirror test. A behavioral technique to determine whether an animal has the ability to recognize itself in the mirror.

In the classic mirror test, an animal is anesthetized and then marked on an area of the body the animal cannot normally see. When the animal recovers from the anesthetic, it is given access to a mirror. If the animal then touches or investigates the mark, it is taken as an indication that the animal perceives the reflected image as itself, rather than of another animal. And thus can recognize itself.

Brighton might have provided Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham with a different version of the mirror-test. A mirror-test that shows what Tottenham lacks in their attack.

Using Brighton as the example might seem odd considering that they are 17th in the Premier League table. But it’s only their poor finishing that is keeping them there. Midweek was Groundhog Day for Graham Potters’ side, poor finishing and an excellent display from the opposition’s goal-keeper.

On Sunday, they managed to score only once to win their first home league game of the season. However, the constant that has never gone away from the beginning of the season is Brighton’s ability to create multiple chances each game through clear attacking patterns.

In this game, Potter decided to drop Alexis Mac Allister a bit deeper into midfield, forming a 3–2 structure ahead of Brighton’s back five.

Yet the Argentine was making regular runs into the box alongside his midfield partner Pascal Gross.

Putting themselves regularly ahead of Brighton’s forwards, Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard. In this early attack, Mac Allister dribbled into the box after receiving the ball from Maupay, and then passed the ball to Gross who was making the same run as Mac Allister. Gross’ outside of the boot shot hit the post, but it was only the first alarm.

The runs kept coming as Tottenham’s back three were busy with Brighton’s front two, and the wing backs fearing the the threat of Brighton’s wing backs who positioned themselves high up the pitch. From the right side it was Gross….

and from the left side it was Mac Allister.

At times putting themselves in positions ahead of Brighton’s forwards. In this example a better cross from Solly March could have provided a clear goal-scoring opportunity for Gross who is running into the space ahead of Tanguy Ndombele.

The catalyst behind those runs was Trossard. His floating movement overloaded the midfield and moved Tottenham’s back three horizontally to create spaces for Gross and Mac Allister. Here, he finds Mac Allister in between the lines after drifting back to the touchline….

….then Mac Allister should in theory have played the ball into Gross who is running into the perfect space, but he didn’t. This attack showed the problems Spurs’ defence faced in this game perfectly. The back three here are disrupted due to Maupay’s wide position on the edge of the box and Mac Allister running at them forcing Toby Alderweireld to move out. All that while Ben Davies is trying to hold a position on the near side that doesn’t give Brighton’s right wing-back, Joel Veltman, an advantage. All of that creates the perfect space for Gross to run into.

Another attack in the second half shows Trossard’s importance in this attacking scheme. His movement into midfield here frees Mac Allister of any marking as he positions himself behind Tottenham’s midfield. And towards the touchline Gross is initially marked by Ndombele…..

….but once Ndombele goes behind the ball out wide, Gross directly makes a run into the box. Maupay opted to dribble here, but a simple pass into the space and Gross would have probably doubled the lead. It’s important to notice here how deep Trossard is in comparison to Gross and Mac Allister.

After Maupay dribbled, he found Trossard with a pass and Gross’ run could still have been fruitful if only he managed to reposition himself to beat the offside.

Trossard kept drifting away from the box and the midfield runs kept coming.

It wouldn’t be Brighton though if they finished their chances. In this example, Gross’ pass into Maupay was intercepted by Ndombele, but there was a backwards yet freer option in Mac Allister on the edge of the box.

A performance like this from Brighton ending in a draw would have been a regular day at the AMEX. This time though, they managed to score and it had to be from those midfield runs. Gross found Mac Allister in midfield….

….then directly made a run into the box as Tottenham’s back three were pinned by Brighton’s front two.

Gross then played the cut-back for Trossard who scored the only goal of the game, moving Brighton seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Gross and Mac Allister’s runs were well timed and towards the correct space, made possible by Trossard’s free role and the threat of the high wing backs in March and Veltman.

With the quality that Brighton possess on the pitch and on the bench, the only thing separating between them and clear safety is their finishing and decision making in the box. Fix those and the Seagulls will fly. As for Tottenham, turbulent times are ahead with the absence of Kane and a new visitor on Thursday in Thomas Tuchel.

As simple as Brighton’s plan was, it had a clear attacking pattern. Ironically, that’s what Tottenham miss the most in addition to Kane. The mirror-test failed, Tottenham’s attack passed by and it couldn’t recognize itself.