Tottenham vs Brighton - FA Cup 4th round: Live score, team news and updates

Hope was one of Antonio Conte’s buzzwords in the build-up to Brighton’s visit and Tottenham still have it in the FA Cup. As the serial winner discussed what is required for success he claimed that without a firm foundation and solid structure hope is all a club is left with.

While it might not be the basis for anything long-term, as Conte is aiming to build, in a knockout competition that is no bad thing. And that is more than Brighton have after they shot themselves in the foot to hand Spurs the place in round five.

Brighton dominated large patches of this tie but were made to pay after contributing to their own downfall. 

Harry Kane scored twice in a comprehensive 3-1 win for Tottenham over Brighton in the FA Cup

Emerson Royal forced Spurs' second strike, which took a huge deflection and was given as an own goal for Solly March

Yves Bissouma (left) was Brighton's biggest threat and his deflected strike pulled them back into contention in the second half

There was some strange goings on before all three Spurs goals. And it has been a strange season for the scorer of two of them, Harry Kane.

In a campaign which has been underwhelming for Spurs’s talisman his double took his tally to a more than respectable 25 for the season for club and country. They are the sky-high standards he has set.

His first came after an uncharacteristic error on the ball by Brighton’s Adam Webster who compounded that by presenting Kane with his second after the break.

In between a freak own goal from Solly March led to Spur’s second.

Yves Bissouma netted a deflected strike for Brighton to briefly make it 2-1 but it was Spurs who progressed, relatively comfortably, and retain that all-important hope of reaching Wembley.  

Conte said: ‘To win in an important competition like the FA Cup is so important. We know this trophy is important. It's a great competition, a great trophy, a historical trophy in England.

On Kane, he added: ‘Harry’s attitude and commitment for the team is the most important thing for us. For him to score two goals is important for him because he is a true No9.’

Brighton manager Graham Potter said: ‘We weren’t at our best. We contributed to things ourselves that happened. We need to be at our absolute maximum to win here which we weren’t.’

Spurs coach Antonio Conte spoke a lot about the importance of hope ahead of the Cup tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Dejan Kulusevski made his first appearance for Tottenham since signing on loan from Juventus and had an impressive debut

Son Heung-min caused all sorts of problems for Brighton on his return to action after a month out due to injury

Brighton started well, taking the initiative, but out of nowhere got the jitters. On the first occasion they got away with it. After the second, they were ruthlessly punished.

It was a strange slip from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez that gave Spurs encouragement. Under no pressure he scuffed an attempted pass out to his right but was fortunate Kane was on his heels. The England captain only had to wait a few seconds to open the scoring.

Sanchez then passed the ball to Adam Webster who is usually so reliable in possession. But this time could not make his mind up what to do with the ball and ended up gifting it to the fit-again Heung Min-Son.

He and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg combined and Kane beat Sanchez with a brilliant curling finish from long-range. The previous pattern continued but Spurs’s threat on the break was obvious and continued throughout the game.

Their second came via that very route after Emerson Royal picked up the ball in his own half and drove deep into Brighton territory down the right.

Tottenham striker Kane was in deadly form and scored a brace for the first time this season in domestic competition

Spurs are into the fifth round and will feel confident of taking a good proper stab at a first FA Cup win since 1991

None of his teammates kept up with him and in normal circumstances his eventual cross would have been routine, no pressure catching practice for Sanchez.

But, instead, it took a nick off Solly March which sent the ball up and over the Brighton goalkeeper before dropping perfectly into his far corner.

That went down as a March own goal and Royal should have had one of his own from Son’s cut-back soon after.

Neal Maupay and Jakub Moder, either side of the break, were wastefully off target for Brighton but their momentum was building and their goal, when it came, no surprise.

Lloris previously had to readjust sharply to keep out a deflected effort from Yves Bissouma but he had no chance just after the hour when the Mali midfielder’s shot was diverted in off Hojbjerg’s back.

That should have been Brighton’s cue to push for an equaliser but instead they shipped a third three minutes later.  

Son showed how sharp he was on his return from injury with a devastating burst between two Brighton defenders before a third, Lewis Dunk, held him up inside the box.

But, in trying to salvage the situation, the recovering Webster could only bundle the ball towards his own goal and Kane slid in to tap in his second of the night.

Maupay blew another chance to give Spurs something to worry about and the game petered out, giving Conte the situation gave Conte the chance to give debuts to his new signings Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.  

See how the action unfolded with SportsmaiI's Richard Martin