Brentford Thrashes Tottenham in Premier League Opener
Brentford beat Tottenham 3-0 at home on August 22, handing Roberto De Zerbi's newly assembled side a heavy defeat on the first day of the Premier League season.
- £41m Brentford signing Mamadou Sangare set up the first goal and forced the third.
- 4 Tottenham debutants started; Archie Gray captained the side at 20 years, 163 days.
- £100m Sandro Tonali's volley from 18 yards cleared the stand.
- Igor Thiago missed a penalty for Brentford, hitting the post after sending Kinsky the wrong way.
Why it matters: Tottenham spent heavily to avoid a repeat of last season's relegation scare, but three new defenders starting together showed little cohesion from the first minutes.
- Brentford kept their squad largely intact under manager Keith Andrews and scored seven goals in their final pre-season match.
How 5 sources split on this story
Left coverage, 2 sources: The left focuses on the individual brilliance of Sangare and the historic youth of Gray's captaincy amid broader Tottenham dysfunction.
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right emphasizes the totality of Tottenham's failure — lack of desire, poor fundamentals, and De Zerbi's forlorn appearance on the touchline.
Daily Mail3hRoberto De Zerbi warns big-spending Tottenham need time and must improve 'physical condition' and 'organisation' - as boss apologises after crushing loss to Brentford
The Sun3hKeane Lewis-Potter reveals hilarious reason behind goal celebration after scoring in Brentford’s mauling of TottenhamWhat’s next: Tottenham are close to completing deals for Savinho and Omar Marmoush, which would push summer spending past £300m.
- Whether Tottenham's new signings can develop the cohesion needed to compete before the transfer window closes.
- How De Zerbi addresses the lack of desire and physicality his team showed in midfield.