Spurs had 59.8% of the ball and no shot on target until the second half. Brentford had 26 shots
Roberto De Zerbi picked five debutants and watched them lose the physical battle everywhere. Lewis-Potter, Janelt and Kayode did the damage, and 3.96 xG says it could have been worse.
Tottenham spent the summer rebuilding and started five of the new arrivals. Twelve minutes in they were behind, and by the time Michael Kayode made it three just after the break the rebuild looked like what Jamie Redknapp called it afterwards: a team of strangers.
Brentford did not need the ball. They finished the night with 40.2% of it and twenty-six shots — eight on target, one off the woodwork — against nine from a Spurs side that did not force a save in the first half.
Sangare ran the game Brentford wanted to play
Club-record signing Mamadou Sangare set up the opener for Keane Lewis-Potter on twelve minutes and never gave the middle back. Vitaly Janelt made it two on 33, and Kayode finished the job four minutes into the second half.
It should have been four. Thiago put a 55th-minute penalty against the post — the only thing that went wrong for Brentford all evening.
The duel numbers tell the rest. Richarlison won two of his eight. New signing Jan Paul van Hecke won two of seven. "We suffered physically," De Zerbi said. "We were not ready to fight the duels."
Match facts
- 12' — Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford), assisted by Mamadou Sangare
- 33' — Vitaly Janelt (Brentford)
- 49' — Michael Kayode (Brentford)
- 55' — Thiago hit the post with a Brentford penalty
- Tottenham did not register a shot on target in the first half
| Stat | Brentford | Tottenham Hotspur |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 40.2% | 59.8% |
| Total shots | 26 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 8 | 4 |
| Passes completed | 296 (82.2%) | 482 (87.8%) |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.96 | 0.47 |
| Corners | 7 | 3 |
| Fouls conceded | 17 | 14 |
| Offsides | 3 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 1 |
What's next
Brentford go to Leeds United on Sunday 30 August, promoted opposition and a chance to make this a proper start rather than a one-off. Tottenham host Newcastle on Saturday 29 August — a home crowd that will want an answer, and only six days to find one.
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