09 April 2023 , 11:23
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It was a game which Spurs won thanks to a late goal from Harry Kane, but that doesn't even scratch the surface when summarising the clash between the hosts and Brighton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
A touchline melee, red cards to both managers, and penalty controversy that left the Seagulls fuming. Antonio Conte may have been banished from North London, but the volatility which signified much of the work of the Italian boss remains very much prevalent.
But then again, a clash between Spurs stand-in boss Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi was perhaps inevitable. If relations between the pair were frosty before the game kicked off, any feeling of goodwill and completely disintegrated by the time the away team bus left for Brighton. But what prompted the chaos?
A harrowing pre-match handshake
On Thursday, Stellini inadvertently stoked the fires despite being full of praise for this opposite number. But if his comment insinuating that the Italian had been an "aggressive" figure in his playing days was seen as provocative - then his assertion that his foe was simply benefiting from the platform built by Graham Potter seemed specifically designed to fuel a fire.
It clearly rankled with De Zerbi, who after shaking hands with Stellini appeared to react to a comment from his compatriot. The finger wagging and angry words that followed from the Brighton boss, all caught by the television cameras, served as a preview as what was to come.
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De Zerbi appeared unhappy with his opposite number before kick off even took place (@SkySportsPL/Twitter)Managers pay the penalty
If the visitors were left feeling hard done by at Tottenham, they had good reason to be. At 1-1 in the second half, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's tackle in the penalty area on Kaoru Mitoma went bizarrely unpunished, and VAR also deemed Danny Welbeck's strike into the net to have brushed the hand of Mac Allister.
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And after the latter of the two calls, chaos reigned, with both bosses involved in a heated exchange that involved players and staff members from both sides. Both were red carded for their troubles, with the arguments continuing down the tunnel. De Zerbi watched the remainder from the away dressing room, whilst Stellini watched his side's late win from the media box.
And the feeling of injustice among Brighton fans, players, and coaches would not have been helped by PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitting on Sunday a spot kick should have been awarded for the Hojberg incident.
Interim boss Stellini was defiant afterwards (@SkySportsPL/Twitter)No love lost in the aftermath
Afterwards, Stellini was defiant, insisting he did not "insult" De Zerbi and there was no need for the animosity: "I want everyone to understand that this was my second game as Tottenham manager and that I want to respect all Premier managers," he said. "When I talk about one of them, I'm talking about people I want to learn from. I don't know why Roberto was against me, I didn't try to talk to him after the game and I don't want to change my mind: I want to be respectful towards everyone and do my job at my best."
De Zerbi though, was equally adamant, claiming it was the Spurs contingent that prompted the trouble and subsequent dismissals: "It was a protest from their bench that triggered everything," he said. The other bench does it".
One of the two managers is unlikely to be in the hot seat when the two teams meet next time around. But for all the bemoaning of Tottenham fans over their uninspired style of play in the 2022/23 campaign, at least the touchline antics of those in charge remain box office.