Tottenham Suffers Heavy 3-0 Defeat Against Brentford in Season Opener
Tottenham Hotspur faced a disappointing start to their season as they were defeated 3-0 by Brentford, with goals from Lewis-Potter, Janelt, and Kayode securing the win for the Bees. The match could have ended with an even larger deficit for Spurs, as Igor Thiago missed a penalty when the outcome was already settled.
Statistically, the match showcased Brentford’s dominance, recording 26 shots with 8 on target, in stark contrast to Tottenham’s modest total of 9 shots, only 4 of which were on target—most of which were taken by Moore from the same position.
Brentford’s First-Half Domination
The first half displayed Brentford’s control over the game, executing a well-coordinated attack that culminated in a low cross from Sangaré. Lewis-Potter capitalized on the opportunity, scoring from the edge of the six-yard box.
Tottenham was unable to register even a single shot on target during this period, attempting only two efforts from outside the box. The performance was so poor that Kayode alone managed to accumulate more touches in the box than the entire Spurs squad.
Early Second-Half Goals and Missed Opportunities
Brentford wasted no time in extending their lead, making it 3-0 shortly after the break. A corner kick led to a shot from Sangaré, which Kinsky managed to parry, but the rebound was pounced on by Kayode in the 49th minute.
Spurs attempted to respond, with Moore missing a close-range chance. However, in the 55th minute, a foul by Bentancur on Schade in the box resulted in a penalty, which Thiago hit against the post.
De Zerbi Addresses Team’s Performance
Post-match, Roberto De Zerbi acknowledged the team’s struggles but urged against drastic conclusions. “We can’t throw everything away now, just when we’ve been working well,” he said. “We’re improving our fitness. We’re not all at the same level because many players started the season late.”
He continued, “But I don’t want excuses: we have to stay focused on the improvements we need to make. The first is finding the right fighting spirit. Today, maybe it wasn’t really about the spirit, but we weren’t physically ready. Do we have to do better? Of course. I wasn’t expecting this result. But I knew what problems we could run into today. Especially in the duels.”
Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham crash badly on their debut against Brentford: 3-0 thanks to goals from Lewis-Potter, Janelt and Kayode. A defeat that could have been even heavier, given that Igor Thiago missed a penalty with the result already beyond doubt.
The numbers tell the story of the match well: Brentford had 26 shots, 8 on target, compared to Spurs’ 9 overall (they also had 4 on target, but almost all from Moore from the same position).
👎 Brentford dominate the 1st half, Kinsky howler
The first half was completely dominated by the Bees, who cut through Tottenham’s defence with a fine team move: Sangaré drilled in a low cross for Lewis-Potter, who scored from the edge of the six-yard box.
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The 2-0 came after Richarlison lost the ball in his own half, Jensen shot from distance, and Kinsky’s poor save (made first-choice keeper despite last year’s Champions League disaster) allowed Janelt to score.
Spurs had zero shots on target in the first half: they managed only two attempts, both from outside the box. A disastrous opening period, so much so that Kayode alone managed more touches in the box than the entire Tottenham team.
‼️ 3-0, a hint of a reaction, and the missed penalty
At the start of the second half, Keith Andrews’ Brentford immediately made it 3-0: a corner led to a Sangaré shot, Kinsky managed to save it, but from the rebound (this time through no fault of his own) Kayode scored in the 49th minute.
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De Zerbi’s team responded through Moore, who missed a chance from close range, but in the 55th minute Bentancur fouled Schade in the box: from the spot, Igor Thiago hit the post.
📣 De Zerbi: “I wasn’t expecting this result”
After the match, De Zerbi admitted the team’s shortcomings, but without being catastrophic: “We can’t throw everything away now, just when we’ve been working well. We’re improving our fitness. We’re not all at the same level because many players started the season late, like Senesi, Bergvall and many others.”
“But I don’t want excuses: we have to stay focused on the improvements we need to make. The first is finding the right fighting spirit. Today, maybe it wasn’t really about the spirit, but we weren’t physically ready. Do we have to do better? Of course. I wasn’t expecting this result. But I knew what problems we could run into today. Especially in the duels.”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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