Spurs’ Under 23 side faced Brighton & Hove Albion in their final home Premier League 2 match of the 2021/22 season, on Monday afternoon. Wayne Burnett’s side recorded a 0-0 draw with Brighton, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs lined-up with Thimothée Lo-Tutala in goal, while Kallum Cesay, Marqes Muir, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Dermi Lusala started in defence. Captain Jamie Bowden and Nile John started in central midfield, as Romaine Mundle and Yago Santiago started out on the flanks, either side of CAM Alfie Devine. Dane Scarlett led the line for Spurs. Brighton got the match underway. Nile John had an early effort blocked on the edge of the Brighton box, before Spurs’ captain Jamie Bowden hit an effort from the edge of the Brighton penalty area, narrowly over the goal. A good Spurs move followed, as Devine passed the ball to Mundle on the right flank, and he then gave the ball to Yago Santiago, down the right side of the Brighton box. However, the former Celta Vigo player had his resulting effort saved by James Beadle, before the ball was then cleared away.

After receiving Nile John’s pass on the edge of the Brighton box, Romaine Mundle showed some good skill on the ball, before passing the ball to Alfie Devine on the right side of the Brighton penalty area. However, Devine’s powerful effort was tipped behind well by Beadle. Dane Scarlett headed wide from a Jamie Bowden corner-kick, before Santiago had an effort blocked. A long ball forward from a Brighton defender resulted in Lo-Tutala going out of his box to try and clear the ball, but he was unable to, but Malachi Fagan-Walcott was able to get the ball clear in time. Bowden headed an effort wide from Romaine Mundle’s cross, and then shortly after Dermi Lusala saw his deflected effort go wide of the Brighton goal. After receiving the ball on the left side of the Spurs box, Cameron Peupion had a low effort on goal saved by Lo-Tutala. Dane Scarlett just missed being able to meet Romaine Mundle’s cross into the Brighton box, before the referee sounded his whistle for half-time. 

Spurs got the second half underway. Devine hit an effort over the Brighton goal, before Andy Moran managed to find Odeluga Offiah, on the right side of the Spurs box. However, Offiah’s effort went into the side-netting. Dane Scarlett then hit over Romaine Mundle’s low corner kick, inside the Brighton box. Jamie Bowden then hit a free-kick effort (it took a deflection off of the Brighton wall) onto James Beadle’s crossbar. Santiago then headed Mundle’s resulting corner-kick into the side-netting of the Brighton goal. The alert Marqes Muir managed to block behind Cameron Peupion’s effort from inside the Spurs box, just before Alfie Devine received a yellow card after making a challenge. Spurs’ first changes of the game saw J’Neil Bennett and Maksim Paskotši came on to replace Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Dane Scarlett respectively. After meeting Romaine Mundle’s corner-kick inside the Brighton penalty area, Yago Santiago had a good headed effort brilliantly kept out of the goal by James Beadle, before then heading an effort wide from the resulting corner-kick.

After showing good skill on the ball after going inside from the left flank with the ball, Romaine Mundle had an effort saved by Beadle. Brighton then created a good chance, after Andy Moran passed the ball to Todd Miller on the left side of the Spurs box, but Marqes Muir managed to keep up with him, and after doing well to close down his angles, Miller hit the ball into the side-netting of Lo-Tutala’s goal. Max Robson came on to replace Romaine Mundle, and then a couple of minutes later Cameron Peupion’s curling effort on goal was tipped over well by Lo-Tutala. Ed Turns headed a Brighton corner-kick into the side-netting of the Spurs goal, a couple of minutes later. At the other end of the pitch Maksim Paskotši headed over Yago Santiago’s corner-kick. Jamie Bowden then had an effort blocked, before J’Neil Bennett also had an effort blocked. Bowden made an important challenge on Lorent Tolaj, just before the referee sounded his whistle for full-time. Spurs’ final Premier League 2 fixture of the season is away to Chelsea, next Sunday afternoon.

Player reviews:

• Thimothée Lo-Tutala: The Spurs goalkeeper kept his fourth clean-sheet of the season for Spurs’ Under 23 side, on Monday afternoon. Lo-Tutala made two important saves for Spurs on the day.
• Kallum Cesay: The right-back got forward well on occasions during the match.
• Marqes Muir: My man of the match, see below.
• Malachi Fagan-Walcott: This was a good performance from the centre-half, who during his 66 minutes of the pitch, made one really fine and important challenge. The 20 year old had a good game alongside Marqes Muir.
• Dermi Lusala: The left-back completed the whole of the match, at left-back.
• Jamie Bowden: The Spurs captain started the match in the defensive-midfield role, and he managed a good number of goal attempts.
• Nile John: The midfielder started the match in central-midfield, alongside Jamie Bowden, rather than starting the match in the CAM role.
• Romaine Mundle: In my opinion Romaine Mundle was Spurs’ most creative player against Brighton on Monday afternoon. The winger went on some good and skilful runs with the ball, and his set-pieces were good.
• Alfie Devine: He may not have got on the ball as much as he has done in matches this season, but on his return to the Spurs Under 23 side Alfie Devine made a good impression on the game, both with and without the ball.
• Yago Santiago: Starting the match out on the left flank, Yago Santiago managed a good number of goal attempts today, and he was very unlucky not to score a goal.
• Dane Scarlett: The centre-forward returned to the Spurs Under 23 side today, and during his time on the pitch he made some good runs off the ball.
• J’Neil Bennett: The skilful winger went out to the left wing, after replacing Dane Scarlett.
• Maksim Paskotši: The second half substitute went to the left side of central defence.
• Max Robson: The late substitute worked hard off the ball during his time on the pitch. 

My man of the match: Marqes Muir. The right sided centre-half was solid, alert and decisive in how he defended against Brighton on Monday. The Lambeth born first year professional made some good decisions in defence today, and he defended well against the talented Andy Moran. Muir did well to close down Todd Miller’s angles to stop him from scoring a goal inside the Spurs box, and that was just one example of his fine defending and reading of the game, during the match against Brighton.