Brighton axed Neal Maupay over ‘inflated ego’

Maupay didn't travel with his teammates ahead of Sunday's game.

Neal Maupay was reportedly dropped from Brighton's Sunday evening fixture with Tottenham due to his 'inflated ego', a report has claimed. The Frenchman, the Seagulls' top scorer this season, didn't travel to London with his teammates for the Premier League clash, with manager Graham Potter naming a starting XI with no recognised striker. Speaking after the game, Potter explained Maupay's absence as being 'tactical', but a report by the Daily Mail now claims the decision to leave him out was designed to show him that no one player is more important than the team, after growing concerns regarding his attitude. Maupay is said to have been embroiled in a 'heated incident' with a colleague in the days leading up to the Spurs game and this is thought to have contributed to his surprise omission. The former Brentford striker has four goals to his name so far this season, including the brace he scored in the win away at Newcastle last month. It is unclear when he will return to the Brighton starting lineup, but it could be in time for this Friday's game at home to Burnley. Brighton eventually went down 2-1 to Spurs, with Gareth Bale scoring the first goal since returning from Real Madrid to clinch all three points for Jose Mourinho's men.