Peter Crouch absolutely nails the reason why Brighton are struggling after Tottenham loss

BBC pundit Peter Crouch said Brighton need need to find a cutting edge and fast if they are to haul themselves away from the lower reaches of Premier League table
Brighton played well but returned from north London with nothing to showBrighton played well but returned from north London with nothing to show
Brighton played well but returned from north London with nothing to show

As so often this season, Brighton played some great football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but suffered a 2-1 loss after a winner from second half substitute Gareth Bale.

Jose Mourinho's team took the lead in the first half through a disputed Harry Kane penalty but Brighton deservedly levelled through Tariq Lamptey in the second half.

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Graham Potter's team perhaps deserved a point but they remain on just five points from their opening seven Premier League fixtures.

"They lacked a cutting edge," said Crouch speaking on MOTD2. "There is so much to admire from Brighton today apart from the cutting edge.

"So often they had just one player in the box. Bissouma was fantastic throughout.

"Bissouma drove forward all afternoon but there were no runners, I don't know where Neal Maupay was?

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"He's a goal scorer and he was left out of the squad today and he's sat at home. They showed great skill all afternoon and Lallana was involved in a lot but they just did not have that final ball. Lamptey again was fantastic going forward."

"(Neal Maupay being left) That does surprise me. I think there is more to that and it's a bit of a mystery."

The MOTD2 team also tried to clear up the controversial VAR incidents from the match. Tottenham were the first to benifit when Adam Lallana clattered in to Kane on the edge of the box and then Brighton's goal was allowed to stand despite Solly March's challenge on Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Harry Kane knows exactly what he's doing," said Martin Keown. "Spurs fans aren't going to want to hear this. He looks at his opponent and he knows he's going to try and make a little back for him and Lallana will go over the top.

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"I think it's dangerous play on Lallana but no, the referee does not understand it, he does not understand the game well enough.

"Kane knows exactly what he is doing, it's dangerous from Harry but he gets the penalty. It's not even in the box really."

Keown also felt Lamptey's goal should not have stood due to March's foul in the build up. "There were two incidents where Spurs dived and this one has gone against them because this one is definitely a foul.

"What's more concerning is that when the ref Graham Scott goes to look at it he does not then think it's a foul. That's a real mystery to me because the follow through takes the opponent out.

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Crouh added, "Anywhere you see that, Sunday League whereever, it's a foul. But it was a great play from Brighton after that.

"A great move and a great finish from Lamptey. But it was nice to see the referee look at that again and go over to the monitor and still get the decision wrong. It was a definite foul!"