Tottenham’s expensive summer rebuild shaken as Brentford claim comfortable win
By Press Association Sport Reporters
Tottenham’s expensive summer rebuild was shaken to its foundations by rampant Brentford on an alarming opening day for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
New-look Spurs showed the same old flaws as goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode saw them dismantled 3-0.
Spurs look set to top the £300million mark on new faces this summer once they complete deals for Savinho and Omar Marmoush in a bid to move on from last season’s scrape with relegation.
But it was Brentford’s marquee signing, the comparably reasonably-priced £41million midfielder Mamadou Sangare, who provided the early dividends in west London.
Archie Gray made Spurs history as the club’s youngest captain since Steve Perryman in the 1970s, and he was joined in the back four by three new signings in Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
That lack of familiarity showed in the opening seconds with Robertson almost putting through his own net before Bees skipper Nathan Collins stabbed a glorious chance wide from six yards out.
Livewire Mali international Sangare set up the opening goal after just 12 minutes, playing a one-two on the edge of the box, bursting to the byline and cutting the ball back for Lewis-Potter to convert.
The Bees kept piling forward and Dango Ouattara was put through by Igor Thiago only to be thwarted by Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky.
The pressure told in the 33rd minute when Kinsky could only parry Mathias Jensen’s shot from the edge of the box and Janelt snaffled up the rebound.
Tottenham’s torrid first half was best summed up when the ball dropped 18 yards out to £100million man Sandro Tonali, who shanked his volley miles over the crossbar.
Things did not improve after the break, despite the half-time arrival of £85million midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
The third goal came when Collins headed a corner down at the far post, Sangare’s snap-shot was beaten away by Kinsky and Kayode lashed in the loose ball.
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“Thomas Frank, he’s laughing at you,” chimed the Brentford fans, an ode to their old boss whose disastrous spell at Spurs last season left De Zerbi picking up the pieces.
Moments later it should have been four after Rodrigo Bentancur bundled over Kevin Schade in the area, but last term’s top scorer Thiago rolled his spot-kick against a post.
Mikey Moore, the 19-year-old homegrown winger, provided the only bright spark with two efforts saved by Bees keeper Caoimhin Kelleher on an otherwise dark opening day for Spurs.
