Brentford delivered on their promise and then some while Tottenham Hotspur apparently didn’t get the memo regarding excitement about their potential, as the Bees thumped Spurs 3-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
MORE — De Zerbi, Gray lament ‘outfought’ Spurs’ performance
Spurs finished 17th — safe by just two points — last season and the club hopes to avoid a similar season by spending plenty of dough on player for manager Roberto De Zerbi after he rallied them away from relegation.
But it was steady, solid Brentford who looked the European contender after missing out on the Conference League on tiebreakers last season.
WATCH FULL REPLAY — Brentford v Spurs on NBC.com
Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt, and Michael Kayode all scored and it could’ve been a bigger score line had Igor Thiago not hit the post with a Kevin Schade-won penalty.
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur final score: 3-0
Keane Lewis-Potter 12', Vitaly Janelt 33', Michael Kayode 49'
Roberto De Zerbi has just spoken from Brentford and he says his team was not in the right physical condition and ‘not ready to fight’ against a Brentford team who is always up for that (More here):
“We didn’t play well. We didn’t fight in the right way. We didn’t remember the last season because all of these players are good people and people with value and memory but we lost too many duels. One of the best qualities is 1v1 the man-to-man, the want to win the duel.”
Spurs youngster Archie Gray became the club’s youngest player to wear the captain’s band in a game on Saturday.
And so the unhappy duty of summing up this game fell to him (More here):
“We lost too many duels — they just out-fought us all over the park,” Gray said. “They just out-fought us. For some reason, some days in football a team will out fight another team. There’s not really words for it. ... I don’t think there are any excuses to be honest. We’ll all look ourselves in the mirror. It wasn’t good enough.”
Brentford were so good, delivering nearly four expected goals over 90 minutes (3.96 xG). More than half of that output came in the second half (2.48).
Spurs were outplayed in both halves and the question is this: How does a team completely fail to show up for the first half of the first game in the first full season under their manager?
Brentford out-attempted Spurs 26-9 and had 40 touches in Spurs’ box compared to just 18 the other way. Awful.
First off, let’s not gloss over the solid, steady performance from a very good Brentford side. Mamadou Sangare was the only new starter and he justified his hype with a terrific performance including an assist. They are for real.
Spurs were unquestionably better with James Maddison in the game. To a lesser extent this is true for Mateus Fernandes.
Yes, Spurs were without Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro. They will improve the side, but there are a lot of questions about the two big mistakes from Lucas Bergvall and two untaken chances from Mikey Moore.
Young, promising players who will surely have better days.
Lewis-Potter gambles for a bouncing ball and that leaves Mikey Moore with a second chance to beat Kelleher from close range.
He goes for goal despite Mateus Fernandes’ plea for a cutback. Moore’s powerful shot is saved by Kelleher.
Igor Thiago goes to the right of Kinsky but hits the bottom of the post.
Can this awaken Spurs, down 3-0 into the 56th minute?
They’re second-best to everything and now Bentancur’s taken down a ball-seeking Schade and Michael Oliver points to the spot.
Igor Thiago will take the penalty.
Mathys Tel turns his mark near midfield and sends Andy Robertson down the left.
The ex-Liverpool man snaps a cross toward the back post and Mikey Moore is 1v1 with Kelleher.
All he has to do is fine the goal, but he tries to go through the keeper’s legs and Kelleher is wise to it with a fine save.
It’s turning into a rout.
Archie Gray loses a 50/50 at the back post off a corner and the ball is pushed back into danger, where Kayode slides it into the roof of the goal.
So, so poor.
Bentancur and Fernandes do, in fact, come into the game.
Bergvall’s day is done, as is Conor Gallagher.
De Zerbi may wind up taking the fall for his Starting XI choices if Spurs look predictably better here.
Brentford are a settled team and they’ve simply taken what the game has given them.
And by the game, we mean Tottenham Hotspur.
Right now, Roberto De Zerbi’s team can be grateful that Michael Carrick’s team have set a high (or low) bar for embarrassing showing of Week 1.
It’s difficult to imagine a manager as intense as Roberto De Zerbi finding Bergvall’s efforts acceptable, especially as Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur are sitting on the bench.
Bergvall would’ve been a player for style but Spurs look so far from that — some subtance from players who are interested in being difficult to face would be nice.
Dominic Solanke and James Maddison also will be looking at the boss with interested, pleading eyes.
Bergvall has been at fault on a pair of Brentford goals.
His casual, feeble touch off a 50/50 in his own end — really, a 70/30 — is easily taken by Mathias Jensen in the heart of the pitch.
Jensen belts a shot at Kinsky and Vitaly Janelt beats Marcos Senesi to a loose ball to bury the rebound.
Oh, Sangare’s going to win fans like this.
Bergvall gives Brentford ages to cue up their 1-2, and Sangare gives it up outside the 18 and gets it back near the end line.
The big signing cuts it back toward the penalty spot where Keane Lewis-Potter has arrived to slot into the gaping goal.
1-0, 13'
Kevin Schade wins a free kick off Jan Paul van Hecke about eight yards in front of the corner flag.
Mathias Jensen snaps a curling free kick toward the near upper 90 and Spurs head it out for a corner.
Jensen takes that, too. It’s a designed set piece sailed to the back of the 18 and Keane Lewis-Potter sees his hard shot blocked by Spurs.
Here we go, a beautiful Week 1 match-up between forward-thinking bosses.
There’s every reason to expect entertainment from West London.
Tottenham Hotspur’s preseason saw them score in every match, and there were only two draws in the bunch.
Brentford, meanwhile, scored three or more goals in all three of their preseason matches including a 7-0 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kevin Schade will be one to watch for Brentford, as will Igor Thiago — can he replicate his performance from last season, or somehow even improve on it?
Spurs took four of six points from the Bees last season, with both games coming within a month — Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 at home on Dec. 6 before the sides split 0-0 at Brentford on New Year’s Day.
Brentford have just two wins and five draws from 17 league matches against Spurs, and the Premier League record is barely better: 1W-4D-5L
Familiarity in the fold for Brentford aside from Sangare, as the other 10 starters were regulars last season.
Caoimhin Kelleher is between the posts, with Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer, captain Nathan Collins, and Keane Lewis-Potter starting along with Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen.
Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade will attack with center forward Igor Thiago, as Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson wait for the introductions off the bench.
Spurs will start Antonin Kinsky behind a back line of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Archie Gray.
Lucas Bergvall, Sandro Tonali, and Conor Gallagher all start, with Mathys Tel, Mikey Moore, and Richarlison ready to fire forward.
Subs: Martin Dubravka, Mateus Fernandes, Kevin Danso, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Luca Williams-Barnett.
Mamadou Sangare is Brentford’s big summer transfer and all signs point to him becoming a household name by the end of the season.
If he hits and stays healthy, the Bees may well take the next step up into Europe. We know Brentford will find goals and be organized at the back, but can they control games?
Kick off time: 12:30 pm ET Saturday (August 22)
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium — London
TV Channel: NBC
Stream link: Watch online via NBC.com
There’s just so much talent here, especially at the back and in the midfield.
Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Conor Gallagher, and Lucas Bergvall are all options in the middle while Marcos Senesi, Micky van de Ven, and Jan Paul van Hecke lead a loaded group of center backs.
And will it be Richarlison or Dominic Solanke up top? Or Mathys Tel, even? Who knows what ‘RDZ’ will cook up, but we’ll find out soon enough.
