Tottenham started their new season in the exact manner they spent hundreds of millions to avoid, falling to a 3-0 defeat against Brentford in the Premier League’s opening London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The problem was not just the scoreline, but rather how Brentford appeared as a side that knew precisely what it wanted, compared to a Tottenham group that looked like strangers on the pitch despite pre-season expectations aiming for a return to European competition.
Keane Lewis-Potter opened the scoring in the 12th minute after Mamadou Sangaré swapped passes with Dango Ouattara before cutting the ball back for the English winger to side-foot home from the center of the box.
Vitaly Janelt added the second in the 33rd minute, capitalizing on Richarlison losing possession and goalkeeper Antonín Kinský failing to clear Mathias Jensen’s initial strike, before Michael Kayode sealed the match with a third goal in the 49th minute following up on a loose ball from a corner.
The damage could have been greater when Brentford was awarded a penalty after Rodrigo Bentancur fouled Kevin Schade, but Igor Thiago struck the post. Tottenham, meanwhile, offered only limited threats that failed to seriously test goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
The defeat comes on the heels of an unprecedented transfer window for Spurs, during which they signed Sandro Tonali for a fee that could reach £100 million, Matheus Fernandes for £85 million, and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million, alongside acquiring Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Martin Dúbravka on free transfers.
Combined with an agreement with Manchester City to buy Savinho for £75 million plus £10 million in add-ons, and Omar Marmoush for £59 million, Tottenham’s summer expenditure topped £300 million. Yet, four debutants started against Brentford without showing any clear signs of the envisioned team structure.
The harsh opening result carries extra weight because Roberto De Zerbi had revived Tottenham last season, taking charge with seven matches remaining and picking up 11 points to secure survival on the final day with a 2-0 win over Everton. Following such heavy backing, qualifying for European competition became the minimum expectation.
Tottenham will have a quick opportunity to respond when they host Charlton Athletic next Wednesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, before facing a tougher test against Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the following Saturday.
