Neal Maupay Dropped From Brighton Squad Amid Concerns Over Attitude

Brighton decided to drop Neal Maupay from their match day squad against Tottenham because of concerns over his attitude and an apparent bust-up with a team-mate in training.

The 24-year old French striker's omission from the squad meant the Seagulls lined up with no recognised striker in a game they went on to lose 2-1. Winger Leandro Trossard was forced to start up front in a makeshift attack and it was defender Tariq Lamptey who scored his side's only goal of the game.

Maupay played in all-but-one of Brighton's Premier League games last season, netting ten times, and has started this campaign in excellent form, bagging four goals in his first six outings.

His absence from the weekend was surprising - with Graham Potter saying at the time it was for tactical reasons - but the Telegraph report that he was left out of the travelling party as a reminder that no one player is bigger than the overall squad.

The former Brentford hitman is known to be a confident player, and his absence will perhaps come as no great shock given his antics earlier in the season. Maupay ruffled a few feathers after converting a panenka penalty against Manchester United, giving his side a 1-0 lead, before running to the cameras to celebrate with a cheeky crying gesture.

His joy was short lived though as United were awarded a bizarre penalty after the final whistle had gone, with Bruno Fernandes's subsequent conversion leaving Maupay rather embarrassed at the final whistle.

Maupay was also involved in a dust-up with Matteo Guendouzi last season, with the latter escaping a ban from the FA after grabbing his fellow countryman by the throat in Brighton's 2-1 win over Arsenal in June.

The 24-year-old scored a late winner in that game and was responsible for Bernd Leno's season ending injury, a moment that caused tension's to rise before Guendouzi lashed out.

Maupay was keen to carry on the animosity post-match and remarked how 'some of the Arsenal players need to learn humility'. It seems that he may need to learn that lesson himself, with Brighton clearly not willing to put up with any ill-discipline despite his impressive form.