Tottenham endured a miserable start to their first full Premier League season under Roberto De Zerbi after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday.
Spurs looked unsettled from the opening whistle at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt putting the hosts two goals ahead inside the opening 33 minutes.
Kinsky was at fault for Brentford’s second, failing to properly deal with Mathias Jensen’s long-range effort before Janelt reacted quickest to score. The goalkeeper was again exposed early in the second half when he could only parry Mamadou Sangare’s powerful volley into the path of Michael Kayode, who made it 3-0.
Tottenham introduced new £85m midfielder Mateus Fernandes at half-time but struggled to create a response. Brentford could even have added a fourth, although Igor Thiago struck the post from the penalty spot after Rodrigo Bentancur fouled Kevin Schade.
Brentford had threatened from the start, with Nathan Collins heading wide from a promising position, while Jan Paul van Hecke narrowly avoided turning Lewis-Potter’s cross into his own goal.
The opener arrived in the 12th minute after Sangare exchanged passes with Thiago before breaking into the box and setting up Lewis-Potter for a composed finish.
Brentford doubled their advantage shortly after the half-hour mark. Richarlison surrendered possession cheaply near the halfway line, allowing Jensen to try his luck from distance. Kinsky could only parry the effort, leaving Janelt with a simple finish into an empty net.
Kayode then completed the scoring four minutes after the restart, capitalising on another goalkeeping error from Kinsky following Sangare’s fierce volley.
Thiago later had the opportunity to add a fourth from the spot but hit the post. Tottenham failed to respond, with Mikey Moore missing their only two realistic opportunities to get on the scoresheet.
Brentford Make Impressive Start
After Manchester United also suffered a poor opening-day result against newly promoted Hull City earlier on Saturday, Tottenham endured a similarly disappointing beginning to the new campaign.
Brentford’s opening goal followed a 15-pass move, with record signing Sangare playing a major role in the impressive build-up. It was the third-longest passing sequence leading to a Brentford Premier League goal under Keith Andrews.
The performance was the kind Tottenham supporters would have hoped to see from their team under De Zerbi, especially following the expensive additions of Sandro Tonali and Fernandes to strengthen the midfield.
Instead, Brentford’s physical approach gave them control in the middle of the pitch, while Tottenham struggled to establish any rhythm. The Bees’ third goal in the 49th minute also marked only the second time they had led 3-0 at an earlier stage of a home Premier League match.
Brentford finished with seven players recording shots on target, compared with only two from Tottenham. The hosts also dominated the expected-goals figures, registering 3.96 xG against Spurs’ 0.47.
De Zerbi’s team will have the chance to respond when they face Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup on Wednesday before travelling to face Newcastle United in their second Premier League fixture. A major improvement will be needed.
