Tottenham’s hopes of securing Premier League survival suffered a crushing setback as Brighton snatched a dramatic 95th-minute equaliser through Georginio Rutter.
Spurs looked set to end their miserable winless run, which had stretched to 15 league matches, and climb out of the relegation zone when Xavi Simons curled home with 13 minutes remaining.
However, the late twist leaves Tottenham just one point from safety with five games to go, and their situation could worsen further depending on results involving relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham. Leeds United had earlier boosted their own survival hopes, adding to the pressure on Spurs.
Brighton’s leveller came deep into stoppage time, as second-half substitute Rutter struck with five minutes left of the eight added minutes, silencing the home crowd and intensifying fears of relegation.
The hosts had earlier taken the lead when Pedro Porro headed in a cross from Simons, sparking celebrations and easing the tension inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That opener came despite a strong spell from Brighton in the first half, during which Micky van de Ven nearly put through his own net and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky produced a fine save to deny Danny Welbeck from close range.
Brighton eventually found their breakthrough before the interval, as Kaoru Mitoma- introduced early following an injury to Diego Gomez- produced a stunning volley into the top corner in first-half stoppage time.
Simons’ later strike, created after impressive work from substitute Lucas Bergvall, appeared to have sealed a vital win for Spurs, but Rutter’s late intervention ensured the points were shared, leaving Tottenham’s fight against relegation hanging in the balance.
