Even worse than Danso: De Zerbi must drop Spurs star who lost 100% duels

Tottenham Hotspur have done themselves few favors in the Premier League this season, but the London side—still fighting to avoid relegation—will look back on Saturday evening’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion as a painful missed opportunity.

Football often demands that you create your own luck, yet over the past several months, this Spurs team has had a genuine case for feeling hard done by. A crushing 95th-minute strike from Georginio Rutter silenced the home crowd, delivering a devastating late blow.

Both Brighton goals—scored just before halftime and deep into stoppage time at the end of the match—were arguably preventable. But Tottenham’s familiar defensive fragilities and individual mistakes prevented manager Roberto De Zerbi from securing the club’s first Premier League win of 2026. In the dying moments, Kevin Danso was at fault.

Spurs missed Cristian Romero against Brighton
To their credit, Tottenham showed real fight. Yet they ultimately caved under late pressure from the Seagulls. After Danso failed to deal with the danger, an unmarked Rutter lashed the ball past Antonin Kinsky, leaving the defender to be consoled by his teammates.

That wasn’t the only concerning moment, though. Kaoru Mitoma’s spectacular strike was undoubtedly brilliant, but questions remain: why weren’t the surging Brighton players closed down in the buildup?

Injuries have plagued Tottenham all season. But the season-ending knee injury suffered by Cristian Romero in last week’s loss to Sunderland may prove the most damaging of all. The captain’s aggressive defending was clearly missed against Brighton.

On paper, Spurs have a favorable run of fixtures ahead. A win at Wolves next weekend feels essential. But they’ll have to manage without their Argentine leader, and if the Brighton performance is anything to go by, that task looks far from easy.

De Zerbi does have options, though. With Rodrigo Bentancur back to full fitness, another Spurs player must make way for him after a difficult evening in the Premier League.

The Spurs flop who must be dropped

The Spurs player who should be dropped
Conor Gallagher has faced plenty of criticism since his January move from Atlético Madrid, but he pressed with aggression and played like someone who genuinely cared. He deserves his place in the starting eleven.

The same cannot be said for Yves Bissouma. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder is expected to leave when his contract expires this summer, but it’s hard not to wonder why this didn’t happen years ago. After all, the club considered moving him on as early as 2024, toward the end of Ange Postecoglou’s chaotic first season.

The Malian started brightly but faded as the match wore on. To be fair, he lacks match fitness. Still, too many of his performances have left fans wanting more, and it’s increasingly clear that a change is needed.

Before being replaced by Archie Gray (who arguably should have started) in the 57th minute, Bissouma failed to protect his backline, losing all four of his ground duels. Against his former club, he flattered to deceive. How often have we actually seen the erratic midfielder deliver a top-class display?

The experienced, hard-tackling midfielder simply doesn’t offer enough protection. Suspensions and injuries have repeatedly disrupted his rhythm. The most frustrating part? He has the ability to be an elite player.

His struggles reflect deeper, darker issues within the club—a microcosm of persistent recruitment failures that have left Spurs teetering on the edge.

For De Zerbi, there are positives to take. But time is clearly running out for this embattled Tottenham side. And if they are to turn things around and preserve their Premier League status, Bissouma must be dropped.