EPL: Brentford expose Tottenham flaws in De Zerbi’s nightmare start
Tottenham Hotspur’s expensive rebuild suffered a major setback on the opening day as Brentford cruised to a 3-0 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Roberto de Zerbi’s side entered the new Premier League campaign with renewed expectations after Tottenham splashed around £237 million during the summer, including two club-record deals.
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However, the visitors struggled to cope with Brentford’s intensity and were two goals down before half-time.
Brentford punish Tottenham errors
Brentford took control after just 12 minutes when Keane Lewis-Potter found space inside the penalty area before finishing Mamadou Sangare’s delivery.
Sangare, who arrived as Brentford’s record signing this summer, was at the centre of the hosts’ best moments as they repeatedly exposed gaps in Tottenham’s defence.
Their pressure paid off again in the 33rd minute. Antonin Kinsky saved Mathias Jensen’s effort, but Vitaly Janelt reacted quickest to the rebound and tapped the ball into an unguarded net.
Tottenham failed to produce a single shot on target during a disappointing first half, despite starting several of their major summer recruits.
Kayode completes Brentford rout
De Zerbi attempted to change things at half-time by introducing £85 million signing Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur for Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall.
The changes did little to improve Tottenham’s fortunes.
Brentford added a third in the 55th minute when Michael Kayode followed up after Kinsky had saved Sangare’s effort, completing a miserable afternoon for the visitors.
There was an opportunity for Tottenham to reduce the deficit when Bentancur conceded a penalty after fouling Kevin Schade.
Igor Thiago, however, struck the post from the spot after Kinsky had committed himself in the opposite direction.
The result gives Brentford an impressive opening-day victory, while De Zerbi faces an early test to fix Tottenham’s defensive weaknesses despite the club’s heavy investment during the transfer window.