Cristian Stellini was keen to move on from his touchline spat with Roberto De Zerbi after Tottenham beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 in a fiery top-six battle.

Harry Kane hit the winner after Lewis Dunk cancelled out a spectacular opener from Son Heung-min in a bad-tempered Premier League contest on Saturday.

Having been involved in a heated exchange before kick-off, interim Spurs boss Stellini and Brighton head coach De Zerbi were sent off amid a touchline fracas in the second half.

De Zerbi is the only Premier League boss to be shown two red cards this season, while fifth-placed Tottenham are the only other club to suffer two managerial dismissals this term, with Antonio Conte being sent off in a draw with Chelsea back in August.

Asked about the incident, Stellini told Sky Sports: "I don't like to be involved when there is a fight or something too aggressive. I'm quiet and focused on the game. 

"I try to do my job. I want to speak only about my team and the game, not what happened between us and them on the bench. 

"It was an important game and we also beat them in their stadium. Probably every one of us was full of anger and tension. But everything that happened on the pitch stays there, and it does now."

Asked whether he will be friendly with De Zerbi in the future, Stellini added: "Of course. I am a friendly person. Football is enjoyable. 

"You have to enjoy football and when you see something like this, everyone can be disappointed at home. I don't like to show something bad.

"From me, this has never happened. I want to enjoy and fight with my team. If I have power inside me, I want to use it to fight with my team."

During a post-match interview with BBC Sport, meanwhile, De Zerbi said: "I am used to always respecting everyone and I want the same towards me."

Brighton were denied goals in both halves as VAR reviews saw Kaoru Mitoma and Alexis Mac Allister penalised for handball.

Mitoma also felt he was tripped in the area by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before Kane scored what proved to be the winner as Brighton dropped to seventh spot behind Aston Villa.

Seagulls captain Dunk was particularly infuriated by the latter decision, saying: "I thought we were the better team and dominated the game, they created two chances and scored two goals, which is poor from us. 

"I don't understand football sometimes. Apparently one of them hit Alexis on the hand, but on the other one, VAR made a tight decision. 

"Then they can't make a clear decision on the penalty – a clear foul on Mitoma in the box. I don't understand VAR."

Harry Kane hit the winner as Tottenham claimed their first victory since Antonio Conte's departure, beating top-six rivals Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 in a feisty contest on Saturday.

Kane found the net with a deflected effort with 11 minutes remaining after Son Heung-min's stunning goal – his 100th in the Premier League – was cancelled out by Lewis Dunk's header.

Roberto De Zerbi joined interim Spurs boss Cristian Stellini in being sent to the stands during a heated affair, with the visitors denied goals in either half for handball offences.

Tottenham's victory keeps them three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification, with Brighton seven points further back after a frustrating loss.

Tottenham took the lead in spectacular fashion with their first attempt of the game, Son cutting inside to whip a 25-yard effort beyond Jason Steele and into the top-right corner.

Kaoru Mitoma was denied a leveller as he was penalised for handball before volleying into the bottom-right corner, before Hugo Lloris made two outstanding saves, turning Alexis Mac Allister's long-range effort away and pushing Moises Caicedo's drive onto the post.

However, Brighton's pressure finally told after 34 minutes as Dunk powered in a header from Solly March's corner.

Brighton thought they had the lead when Danny Welbeck's second-half strike deflected off Mac Allister and beyond Lloris, but a VAR review spotted that the ball struck the midfielder's hand.

Having been involved in an animated exchange before kick-off, De Zerbi and Stellini both saw red following a touchline fracas on the hour mark as a tetchy affair threatened to boil over.

Both sides missed chances as they chased a crucial winner to stay in the hunt for the top four, and it was Spurs who got one as Kane's powerful finish deflected into the top-left corner, breaking Brighton's hearts.

Gareth Southgate is set to bring up 50 games in charge when England start their qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup.

San Marino are the visitors to Wembley Stadium for the milestone match, with Southgate the seventh to make it to a half-century at the helm for England.

His record so far is impressive: 29 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats. He has also introduced some notable names to international football, many of which will form the backbone for the Three Lions in this year's delayed Euro 2020 tournament. 

In total, 42 players have made their senior debuts under the current boss. Plenty have made an impact, though some have fallen by the wayside since getting a taste of the senior team. 

HITS 

Jesse Lingard 

Lingard is the only member of the current England squad to have made his debut in Southgate's first match in charge, a 2-0 win over Malta in October 2016. The 28-year-old was a key member of the 2018 World Cup squad but has not featured for his country since the Nations League Finals nearly two years ago, having struggled for minutes at Manchester United. 

However, a January loan move to West Ham has paid off. No player has been involved in more goals – Lingard has scored five while also providing two assists – since his debut for the Hammers in February. Southgate – who advised the player to remain in the Premier League – has duly taken note, handing him a recall. 

Harry Maguire 

Maguire made his first England appearance against Lithuania in October 2017, when he was playing for Leicester City. The centre-back quickly established himself in Southgate's side for the World Cup semi-final run, while he has continued to be a mainstay since for the national side.  

Indeed, the Manchester United defender has missed just 14 possible outings for club and country since that maiden outing, starting 28 out of England's 30 matches. 

Kieran Trippier 

Paris was the setting for Trippier's bow, the full-back handed a chance in a 3-2 friendly defeat against France that saw him start alongside then-Tottenham team-mates Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane. 

Now playing his club football in Spain with Atletico Madrid, the 30-year-old continues to be a key attacking outlet for Southgate's teams. His total of 55 chances created since June 2017 is comfortably the highest for England, with striker Kane second on the list with 37. 

Jordan Pickford 

No player has both played and started more games for England under Southgate than Pickford, whose debut came in November 2017.  With 30 appearances, he sits one ahead of Maguire.

The Everton goalkeeper will not be involved as his manager celebrates his 50th match at the helm, though, as an abdominal muscle injury sees him missing for March's World Cup qualifiers. His absence also offers some of his rivals for the starting job an opportunity to stake their claim to be considered number one, with Pickford's form having been somewhat unconvincing for a while.

Declan Rice 

Rice's introduction to action for England came via a substitute appearance during a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic two years ago, replacing Alli just after the hour mark. 

The midfielder started all six of the Nations League qualifiers in 2020-21, including scoring his first international goal in a 4-0 triumph over Iceland. As for his club career, only Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole played more minutes in the Premier League for West Ham than Rice before the age of 22.

MISSES 

Nathaniel Chalobah 

Having represented England through the youth levels from under-16s upwards, Chalobah has so far played one solitary minute for the senior team, with his late, late opportunity coming against Spain in October 2018.  

Since then, the former Chelsea midfielder has started just 42 league games for Watford. This season he is plying his trade in the Championship, contributing three goals and an assist as the Hornets aim for an immediate return to the top flight. 

Dominic Solanke 

Solanke was part of the England squad that won the 2014 European Under-17 Championship, including scoring in a final against the Netherlands that was eventually settled by a penalty shoot-out. 

His senior debut came against Brazil in November 2017, but he has not been involved since. The striker signed for Bournemouth in January 2019 but failed to score in his first 38 Premier League appearances for the club, a barren run finally ended with a brace against Leicester in July 2020. He has been far more prolific in the Championship, getting 11 goals.

Lewis Cook 

Cook had success with England at youth level, captaining the squad that went all the way at the Under-20 World Cup. Solanke was also involved in that tournament, along with full internationals Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Dean Henderson - who was not first choice in goal - and Fikayo Tomori. 

The midfielder's maiden appearance for the senior side earned his grandfather a tidy windfall through a winning bet, but that outing as a substitute against Italy at Wembley remains his only cap. Since then, he has started 58 games for Bournemouth, scoring once. 

Jack Cork 

Another to be handed a late cameo by Southgate, Cork featured for all of four minutes in a friendly with Germany in November 2017. A young line-up that included new faces Pickford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek managed a 0-0 draw at Wembley. 

The midfielder – who was part of the Great Britain squad coached by Stuart Pearce at the 2012 Olympic Games in London – was a regular at Burnley before injuries hampered him in the current season, restricting him to just nine league outings for Sean Dyche's team in the 2020-21 campaign. 

Lewis Dunk 

Dunk has helped Brighton and Hove Albion rise from League One to the Premier League, with his performances earning him an England opportunity against the United States in November 2018. He started in a 3-0 win that saw Wayne Rooney make his 120th and final appearance for the Three Lions. 

The centre-back has not featured since, however, despite remaining a mainstay for his club. Since August 2018, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk (10) is the only defender to have scored more Premier League goals than Dunk's impressive total of nine.