Premier League

BRENTFORD 3 (Lewis-Potter 12, Janelt 33, Kayode 49) 
TOTTENHAM 0 

LAST season was one no Tottenham supporter will want to endure again.

After a summer where Spurs had spent big, there was plenty of optimism that Roberto De Zerbi’s first full season at the club would bring something different.

Instead, the opening day this evening (Saturday) brought a worrying sense of familiarity as Spurs were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Brentford.

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi admitted he had not expected such a poor display. “I was surprised. I am suffering for this defeat,” he said. “We need time, but I think we are much better than we showed today.”

De Zerbi handed four players their first competitive starts in a Spurs shirt, with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jean-Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali all featuring.

Yet despite the large amount of money the club has spent this summer, the starting lineup still appeared to have some significant gaps.

Brentford came flying out of the blocks and their early pressure was rewarded after 12 minutes when Keane Lewis-Potter finished off a well-worked move.

Throughout the first half, Tottenham struggled with the hosts’ intensity and were repeatedly overrun in midfield.

Their problems were compounded in the 33rd minute when Lucas Bergvall was dispossessed far too easily inside his own half. Mathias Jensen’s resulting effort was almost straight at Antonín Kinsky, but the goalkeeper could only parry the ball straight into the path of Vitaly Janelt, who made it 2-0.

De Zerbi responded at half-time by replacing Bergvall and Conor Gallagher with Rodrigo Bentancur and new-signing Fernandes.

The decision to start Bergvall had been a deliberate one.

De Zerbi explained afterwards: “I think it was important for this new time for Lucas to start. I knew before the game that Lucas might suffer in a game like this more than Bentancur, who is much older, but it is important for the future of the club and the direction in which we’re working.”

Any hope that the changes would spark a response disappeared almost immediately, when Michael Kayode added Brentford’s third in the 49th minute. Four minutes later, Bentancur conceded a penalty but luckily for Tottenham, Igor Thiago could only strike the post.

While it was a difficult afternoon for Tottenham’s younger players, with Bergvall, Mikey Moore and Kinsky all struggling, those with more experience hardly covered themselves in glory either.

Robertson struggled with Dango Ouattara’s intensity, while Richarlison failed to give Brentford’s centre-backs much to think about. He saw very little of the ball in dangerous areas and his hold-up play offered Spurs little rest bite during periods of sustained pressure.

In the second half, Moore was presented with three good opportunities, and the 19-year-old will be frustrated he was unable to convert any of them.

There were a few positives. Fernandes looked sharp, and Archie Gray became Spurs’ youngest ever captain.

Brentford also deserve plenty of credit. They moved the ball quickly, defended strongly and looked settled on and off the ball. They were comfortably the better side.

De Zerbi pointed to the scale of Tottenham’s rebuild afterwards, adding: “If you analyse last season with the defensive line and this season, it’s four new defenders, and Tonali and Lucas Bergvall in the middle.”

Spurs did have several important players unavailable and after so many summer additions, it will take time for the side to gel.

Nevertheless, a 3-0 opening-day defeat in which Tottenham were second best across almost every area of the pitch marks a bleak start to the season. Spurs will need to significantly improve in their game against Newcastle United next weekend.

Brentford: Kelleher, Kayode (Hickey, 75), Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Jensen (Yarmoliuk, 66), Sangaré (Damsgaard, 75), Ouattara (Anthony, 66), Janelt, Schade, Igor Thiago (Wilson, 83)
Substitutes not used: Henry, Pinnock, Shuster, Valdimarsson

Tottenham: Kinsky, Gray (Udogie, 85), van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson, Bergvall (Bentancur, 45), Tonali, Gallagher (Mateus Fernandes, 45), Moore (Maddison, 66), Richarlison (Solanke, 66), Tel
Substitutes not used: Dubravka, Danso, Davies, Williams-Barnett