21 September 2024
Tottenham 3 Brentford 1
It had been a poor start to the season for Ange Postecoglou’s side as they entertained Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Defeat against arch-rivals Arsenal last weekend had left a bitter taste with the fans. They were hoping to see much better from their team as they prepared for yet another London derby.
The game could not have got off to a worse start for the hosts. Giving the ball away in their own half, Brentford worked it out wide. Lewis-Potter turned Porro inside out before lifting a cross into the box. Mbuemo met it on the volley, which flew into the top corner of the goal. While the away end rejoiced, the Spurs’ fans could not believe what they were seeing.
Fortunately, Thomas Frank’s side seemed to be in a giving mood. As they looked completely at ease in defence, passing the ball around, Pinnock’s stray pass went straight to Maddison. He ran through on goal and shot but Flekken got down to make the save. Solanke was on hand to tap the rebound into an empty net for one of the easiest goals he will ever score.
Tottenham looked dangerous whenever they came forward. Maddison played the ball through the middle to Kulusevski. As he ran at the defence, he had options on both sides. Laying it off to Johnson, he only had one thing on his mind. He got a shot away, looking for the far corner, but his effort narrowly shaved the wrong side of the post.
Son almost put his side into the lead but as he took it around Flekken, he seemed to take too many touches and the chance was gone. Moments later he turned provider as he fed the ball to Johnson wide in the box. He checked onto his right foot and thundered a shot away that beat the keeper and nestled into the far corner of the goal.
Cue the eruption of the stadium as the fans celebrated a second goal which had seemed to be on the cards for some time. Brentford were not looking comfortable on the ball and were giving away possession all too often. Finally, we saw Ange Postecoglou raise a smile in the Tottenham dugout. It had taken his side all of twenty-seven minutes to turn the game around.
The hosts almost scored another when Kulusevski played a perfectly-timed pass into Maddison. He drilled a cross from the byline and Solanke seemed destined to score but Lewis-Potter got back to clear it off his own line. Spurs were in rampant mood at this stage and The Bees were struggling to get out of their own half.
Brentford should have equalised when Carvalho charged down an attempted clearance by Vicario. The keeper dwelled on the ball and almost got into all sorts of trouble. As the ball came out to Mbuemo, his shot was blocked by the leg of the keeper, who was quick to apologise to all around him after the event.
Into the second-half and a deep cross into the box saw Vicario come to try and collect. The Italian then juggled the ball in the air three times before clearing his lines outside the box. John Brooks, the referee, was stood no more than five yards away from the incident with a completely unimpaired view. He waved play on, even booking a Brentford player and the manager for their complaints.
If this guy’s eyesight is that poor that he really did not see the Spurs’ keeper handling the ball outside of the box, it is debatable whether he should be allowed to drive let alone referee. It is clear as day that Tottenham’s very own Italian clown handled outside of the box. Fortunately for Tottenham fans Pagliacci went unpunished on this occasion.
Brentford had a big chance to score when Ajer played a brilliant pass in behind the Spurs’ defence for Mbuemo. He looked to bury it in the far corner but his left-footed shot was saved down low by Pagliacci, I mean Vicario. The Bees had wasted a great opportunity to get themselves on level terms in this game. Things were not going their way.
The hosts came forward with Son, he could not fashion a shooting opportunity, so laid it into the path of Johnson. Only the former Forest striker will know whether he was shooting or crossing, either way his effort evaded both the goal and Solanke at the back post. This game was on a knife-edge at this point.
Thomas Frank’s side continued to press themselves and Schade headed the ball towards the bottom corner. The forward must have thought he scored but, somehow, Vicario managed to claw the ball out of the goal. This time using his hands to good, legal, effect. This game could have been any scoreline with the chances being created by both teams.
As an attack by the visitors broke down, Tottenham went straight up the other end to score. Son played it into the path of Maddison, who lifted it over Flekken to ensure that all three points went to Ange Postecoglou’s side. They rode their luck at times but all that mattered was the win. The manager will be looking for more consistency from his side however.
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