Tottenham’s expensively rebuilt side made a dismal start to their Premier League opener as they fell 2-0 behind to Brentford, with Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt both on target before the interval.
Roberto De Zerbi selected summer arrivals Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali in his starting eleven, all of whom were part of a squad that spent more than £200 million in the transfer window. That investment, however, counted for little in a first half dominated by the home side.
Brentford, managed by Keith Andrews, were on the front foot from the opening minutes. They took the lead in the 12th minute when Mamadou Sangare, the club’s record signing, created the opener with a slick give-and-go before squaring for Keane Lewis-Potter, who tucked the ball home from close range.
The hosts doubled their advantage before the interval, capitalising on a costly mistake by Lucas Bergvall. Bergvall surrendered possession in midfield, and when Mathias Jensen’s low drive was parried by Antonin Kinsky, Vitaly Janelt reacted quickest to convert the rebound.
Spurs, meanwhile, offered little going forward and failed to register a single shot on target in the opening period. A wildly off-target effort from Sandro Tonali, one of the new arrivals, summed up their frustration.
It was a performance that underlined the scale of the task facing Tottenham, who narrowly avoided relegation last season. Despite spending heavily this summer, the evidence on the pitch suggested there will be no overnight fix for the north London club.
As the teams headed into the dressing rooms, Brentford fully merited their 2-0 advantage, while Tottenham were left to regroup after a first half in which they failed to register a single shot on target.