Winning ugly is better than not winning at all, and apparently Tottenham Hotspur has found the right formula to squeak out three points. After the blip against Forest, Spurs got the needed result against Palace last weekend — away from home, of course — and can start off the new year right with a similar effort at Thomas Frank’s old stomping grounds. Despite plenty of struggles this fall, Tottenham entered this matchweek just four points off fifth.
One point above Frank’s new side is his previous squad. Since falling to Spurs in North London less than a month ago, Brentford has taken seven points in three matches and surged up the table. Some of this is due to quality of competition, but Tottenham is in no place to scoff at taking the “easy” points. This is going to be a true test on New Year’s but at least there is some reason to believe.
Match Details
Date: Thursday, January 1
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford
TV: NBCSN/Peacock (US), Sky Sports Premier League (UK)
Table: Brentford (t-9th, 26 pts), Spurs (t-13th, 25 pts)
Even with it happening at home, last month’s win over Brentford was Tottenham’s best league performance in a long time. The 2.2-0.2 xG line was certainly the most dominant this campaign, and those figures were completely justified given how the match played out. That win did make it four straight for Spurs in this fixture, regardless of which club Frank is leading.
Two Things to Watch
Potential Hierarchy Changes
No midweek matches the past two weeks gave Frank a chance to deploy all his resources, possibly revealing his preferred choices. Two players stand out as being on either side of the cusp right now. The first is Archie Gray, who has started seven of the last eight fixtures and nabbed his first career goal over the weekend.
Spurs could certainly use an upgrade in central midfield, but if the personnel remains the same, it sure looks like Gray has broken into the Rodrigo Bentancur-Joao Palhinha double pivot, and rightfully so. Gray played well against Brentford last time and would relish the chance to repeat that performance. Keith Andrews has dabbled with his formations since that meeting, but Gray is a strong choice against any midfield combination.
Up top, Richarlison has been the primary Tottenham striker all season, but more so out of necessity than performance. He does now lead the team in goals and could have had two more at Selhurst Park, but he has not exactly sealed up the job. Though a striker signing is unlikely in January, the impending return of Dominic Solanke could push him to the bench; the Brazilian’s chances to hang on to the starting spot are quickly dwindling.
Run It Back
That 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was just about everything Frank could have asked for against his former club. Spurs were surprisingly direct, aided by a start from Xavi Simons and a quality outing from Mohammed Kudus, with both working well in front of Gray and Bentancur. Brentford had nearly equal possession of the ball but generated just one shot on target, rarely threatening the Tottenham defense.
Brentford will obviously look to adjust from this loss — and has looked pretty good since then — while Spurs will try to anticipate some of these changes. Frank should have the advantage, knowing his previous outfit well, though execution plays just as large of a role as tactics. Tottenham’s win over Palace was no masterclass, but the ability to grind out wins on the road should not be overlooked.
I would expect the Bees to really go for this one. With six goals scored and just one conceded the past two weeks, confidence is high in Brentford. Spurs will need to absorb some pressure while also making the most of their chances (especially the aforementioned Richarlison). This does not feel like another 1-0 contest, so maybe Tottenham can take advantage of the home side’s surge in form and ambition, carrying forward last month’s success.