Brentford outplayed Tottenham Hotspur to secure a comprehensive 3-0 victory in their Premier League opener at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday. Roberto De Zerbi saw his team outworked in every department during a sobering start to the season.
Goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode sealed a dominant victory for the hosts, who could even afford a missed penalty from striker Igor Thiago. Tottenham, despite spending a couple of hundred million pounds in the transfer market after escaping relegation last season, were second best throughout and were flattered by the final scoreline.
De Zerbi cut a forlorn figure on the touchline with his hands in his pockets as home supporters taunted him with chants about former boss Thomas Frank, relegation and wasted money. Spurs struggled to cope with Brentford's intensity and physicality in midfield, failed to handle their aerial threat, and offered virtually no danger in attack.
Sangare shines as Bees dominate
Brentford were slick and cohesive under head coach Keith Andrews, showing no signs of the summer upheaval that saw them written off a year ago. Following a summer of serenity and a 7-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in their final pre-season match, the Bees picked up where they left off with a fluent attacking display.
Mamadou Sangare was the standout performer on the pitch. Signed for a club record £41 million from Lens, the midfielder eclipsed Tottenham's £100 million signing Sandro Tonali in the first half and £85 million substitute Mateus Fernandes in the second half.
At the back, Tottenham's new central defensive partnership of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi had no answer to the physical aerial assault led by Thiago. Brentford pushed forward early, with Lewis-Potter seeing a sweet volley blocked from a corner, Nathan Collins heading wide at the near post, and Thiago heading against the crossbar from an offside position.
The opening goal arrived in the 12th minute through a brilliant move started by Sangare. The record signing carried the ball forward, played a sharp one-two with Thiago, and delivered a low cross square for Lewis-Potter to convert.
Lewis-Potter, who has matured into an excellent left back, showcased both his attacking quality and defensive strength. His early strike set the tone for a vibrant home performance that delighted the Brentford supporters.
Tottenham struggles and captaincy milestone
The home crowd thoroughly enjoyed the disarray in the visiting ranks, especially given the history involving Frank. Frank left Brentford for Tottenham but was given short shrift by Spurs, leading to his eventual dismissal 41 days after a 0-0 draw between the teams on New Year's Day.
De Zerbi's rescue mission at the end of last season had restored optimism, but this performance showed how much work remains. Tottenham handed starts to four debutants, while Fernandes made it five when he came off the bench.
Archie Gray led Tottenham out as the club's youngest captain in a competitive match at 20 years and 163 days. However, it was a day to forget for the youngster, who was substituted before the final whistle while Brentford fans serenaded him with chants of "Should've signed for a big club," mocking his decision to choose Spurs over Brentford.
Tottenham offered almost nothing going forward during the first half. Mathys Tel saw a tame free kick gathered comfortably by Caoimhin Kelleher, while Tonali lashed a wild shot high into the top tier of the stand, prompting home fans to chant "what a waste of money."
Defensive errors double Brentford lead
Brentford doubled their advantage shortly before the interval following another defensive error from Tottenham. Mathias Jensen dispossessed Lucas Bergvall in a tackle and hit a skidding shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Tottenham goalkeeper Toni Kinsky made a mess of the save, spilling the ball into a dangerous area. Janelt reacted fastest to the rebound, punishing Spurs for an all-encompassing defensive breakdown.
De Zerbi attempted to fix his midfield issues at half-time by replacing Bergvall and Conor Gallagher with Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur. The tactical shift gave Tottenham slightly more control of possession, but Brentford quickly struck again from a corner routine.
Collins was left completely unmarked deep in the penalty box and headed down to Sangare. Kinsky saved Sangare's fierce strike from the edge of the area, but Kayode pounced on the loose ball to fire high into the net for Brentford's third goal.
The third goal exposed familiar flaws for Spurs, who failed to win the initial header, the knock-down, or the rebound. Brentford were awarded a penalty shortly after when referee Michael Oliver judged that Bentancur had pushed Kevin Schade in the area.
Thiago sent Kinsky the wrong way from the penalty spot but struck the post, missing the chance to make it 4-0. It was the only real mistake from a dominant Brentford side on an afternoon where Spurs were outclassed.
Apart from a late effort by Mikey Moore that was superbly saved by Kelleher, Tottenham never threatened to get back into the match. After the final whistle, James Maddison and his Tottenham teammates walked over to applaud the travelling supporters after a bruising afternoon.
De Zerbi acknowledged before the season started that his squad needed work on fundamental principles and what he described as "the soul of the team." With Tottenham potentially adding Savinho and Omar Marmoush in the transfer window next week, the head coach faces an urgent task to rebuild his team's competitive drive.
