For a Tottenham side that has spent over £230m rebuilding around Roberto De Zerbi’s signature style of possession, it was an opening day that raised more questions than it answered. On paper, the blueprint held true with with Spurs having 59.1% of the possession to Brentford’s 40.9%.
From the opening whistle, the home advantage was undeniable. The Bees’ fans sang and chanted, a constant wall of sound. The pattern was set early and for Mamadou Sangaré, it was quite the introduction. The Brentford debutant pulled the strings from the start and, while Spurs passed sideways, Sangaré looked to pierce the defence at every opportunity. Twelve minutes in, he found the space to send Keane Lewis-Potter through for the opening goal. It set the tone for an afternoon that ended with Sangaré named Player of the Match, with another stamp of approval coming from the supporters.
Brentford doubled their lead on 33 minutes after Mathias Jensen’s shot from the edge of the box couldn’t be held by Antonín Kinský, and Vitaly Janelt was on hand to finish the rebound. Michael Kayode added a third early in the second half, converting the loose ball after Kinský had saved Sangaré’s own snap shot from a corner. Spurs’ afternoon barely improved from
there, with a foul in the box bringing a penalty for the home team. Although the effort struck the post, it hardly mattered as the fans applauded the effort regardless.
Tottenham were not without their moments; Mikey Moore tested Caoimhín Kelleher twice, the closest the visitors came to troubling the scoreline all afternoon. There were spells where their passing looked exactly as De Zerbi would have wanted it to. But those isolated flashes only underlined the gap in threat; Tottenham finished with just 0.47 xG, while Brentford’s reached 3.96.
Keith Andrews credited the club’s recruitment after the game, while De Zerbi pointed to circumstance rather than performance, citing a squad still adjusting after a long pre-season.
For the Bees, there is plenty to build on. Sangaré has announced himself, Thiago remains a threat, and Andrews has a squad that looks capable of great things. Spurs’ chances rarely matched their share of the ball, yet there is time to find their rhythm. De Zerbi’s project is still in its infancy, and after last season was spent fighting to stay in the Premier League, there will be little desire for a repeat.
Tahlia Nelson
