Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho says he looks forward to seeing Real Madrid's response to Gareth Bale scoring his first goal since returning to the Premier League.
Bale, on loan at Spurs from the Spanish champions, came off the bench to net the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
The Welsh forward left the North London club to join Real for a world-record fee in 2013, but his time in the Spanish capital divided opinion. Despite winning four Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns and scoring over 100 goals for the club, Bale's commitment to the cause and injury record were used as a stick in which to beat down his achievements with.
While he has been used sparingly by Mourinho since returning to Spurs last month, the Portuguese believes Bale's first goal in the English top flight in more than seven years was sure to provoke a reaction in Madrid.
"I am pleased for him because he deserved the goal. When I have five minutes I am going to Safari to look at Madrid's website to see what they say," Mourinho told reporters.
"He knows we care about him and we know he cares about us, the team and the club, Spurs. He's the perfect fit, he's very calm, very intelligent, he has good feelings."
__________________________
Tottenham v Brighton player ratings
-
TOTTENHAM RATINGS: Hugo Lloris, 6 – The Frenchman had little to do until he collected a Dan Burn header on the stroke of half-time. He could do little about Lamptey’s finish which went across his body to his right. AP -
Matt Doherty, 6 – A frustrating evening for the defender who, though he looked solid at the back, offered very little going forward and gave the ball away too cheaply too often. Getty -
Toby Alderweireld 7 – Another solid evening’s work for the Belgian, who didn’t look flustered despite Brighton looking the better side at times. It was his sumptuous 40-yard cross-field pass that set Reguilon free for Tottenham’s second goal. PA -
Eric Dier, 5 – Another 90 minutes in the heart of Tottenham’s defence, and there was a nervous moment when it looked as though his flailing arms might have given away a penalty in the second half. AFP -
Sergio Reguilon, 7 – Tottenham’s new signing had the first shot of the game. He showed neat footwork to turn and force Sanchez into a simple save. He had his hands full with Tariq Lamptey when the Brighton defender overlapped, but at the other end he delivered the perfect cross on his right foot for Bale to give Spurs the lead. Reuters -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 7 – Looked solid as Brighton grew into the game. He was strong in the tackle and displayed excellent positional play and did all of Tottenham’s dirty work. AP -
Moussa Sissoko, 6 – Gave the ball away too often, and sometimes in dangerous positions, but he was one of Tottenham’s better players. Covered a lot of ground and provided a good shield for the back four. AP -
Tanguy Ndombele, 5 – Got booked early on and trod a pretty thing line for the rest of the first half. Showed some neat touches throughout, but just lacked quality in possession. PA -
Erik Lamela, 6 – The Frenchman enjoyed a lively start and delivered a dangerous cross that was nicked off Kane’s toe at the back post. He hit the post in the second half before being replaced by Gareth Bale. AP -
Heung-Min Son, 5 –After an electric start, in which he played a ludicrous defence-splitting pass to release Erik Lamela in the opening minutes and supplied a cross that Bissouma failed to clear for Tottenham’s opener, he looked way off his usual high standards. AP -
Harry Kane, 7 – A controversial night for the England skipper, who was bundled over just inside the area and recovered to slot home an impeccable penalty for his sixth of the season. Kane went to ground on several occasions, possibly a result of being asked to control long balls from defence. He came close to a second goal, but his touch let him down and he struck the post from close range. AP -
SUBS: Giovani Lo Celso (Ndombele, 64) 5 – Was brought on to control the tempo in midfield and though he didn’t manage it, he played his part in the victory. AP -
Gareth Bale (Lamela, 70) 7 – His first touch was to flick the ball on to Kane, who should have done better with the goal at his mercy. His second touch was to head home from Reguilon’s cross at the near post. Game changer. AP -
Ben Davies (Son, 85) n/a – Presumably brought on to take the sting out of the game and add a further defensive body, he did little to influence the game. AP -
BRIGHTON RATINGS: Robert Sanchez, 6 – Made his league debut and saved comfortably early on when he pushed the ball over the bar from Reguilon. Was sometimes casual on the ball, but he made a great reaction save midway through the second half from his own player. PA -
Tariq Lamptey, 8 – The right-back was once again instrumental in Brighton’s attacking play. He was often isolated, but he was a constant threat on Brighton’s right-hand side. His neat finish pulled Brighton level, but he had to limp off inside the last 15 minutes. EPA -
Ben White, 6 – The sought-after defender was asked to play in a defensive midfield role and though he looked a bit lost at times, he performed admirably, particularly when going forward. Showed a good range of passing. Reuters -
Adam Webster, 5 – Good near-post clearance in the opening exchanges and an excellent tackle on Son after half-time, even though it was adjudged to have been a foul. Came close with a header midway through the second half too. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near Bale when the Welshman equalised. EPA -
Yves Bissouma, 6 – He couldn’t clear the ball, and it was from his failed clearance that Spurs won the penalty that gave the home side the lead. After that, Bissouma didn’t stop running. AP -
Leandro Trossard, 6 – Thought he had grounds for a penalty, but VAR disagreed. A solid performance from the Belgian, he had a shot before half-time, but it was blocked. -
Pascal Gross, 7 – Was one of Brighton’s most effective players, attempting more passes in the final third than any of his teammates and winning the ball back when Tottenham were profligate in possession. Had to fill in at right-back after Lamptey limped off. AP -
Adam Lallana, 7 – Was adjudged to have fouled Harry Kane for Spurs’ opener, though on first glimpse it looked to be on the edge of the area, and a case of Kane backing into him. Showed neat touches throughout and was a class act. Reuters -
Solly March, 5 – The forward payed a huge part in Brighton’s equaliser, though it looked as if his challenge on Hojbjerg in the build-up was a foul. VAR ruled otherwise, and the goal stood, but he soon picked up a knock thereafter after rolling his ankle. -
Dan Burn, 5 – Threatened with a header before giving the ball away, and then a free-kick straight after, in a dangerous position on the stroke of half-time. Not the best performance from the left-back. AP -
Joel Veltman, 5 – Was, at times, a driving force for Brighton when he came out of the back with the ball at his feet, though he didn’t always know what to do with it when he got into Tottenham’s half. Almost scored an own goal but for a wonderful save from Sanchez. PA -
Danny Welbeck (Trossard, 74) n/a – The forward returned to the scene of the injury that kept him out last season. He showed good sharpness when hunting the ball down. EPA -
Mac Allister (Lamptey, 79) n/a – Could do little to help Brighton find an equaliser in the last ten minutes. Bernardo (March, 65) 5 – Had little space to manoeuvre when he came on and couldn’t influence the game. AFP
__________________________
Bale, 31, showed his ruthlessness in front of goal remains with a powerful header 17 minutes from time after replacing Erik Lamela in the second half to ensure Mourinho's men did not slip up in a controversial encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"It's a great feeling," said Bale. "I just want to come on and make an impact for the team.
"Everyone talks about individual play, but I've always said I'm a team player. The most important thing is the collective."
Spurs face Bulgaria's Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday before a Premier League clash against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
