Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Brentford (Richarlison 25′, Simons 43′)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – “Now to watch Spurs win. It’s happening. Trust me.”
Naturally I’m happy to share a WhatsApp message I sent to a Tottenham Hotspur-supporting friend ahead of kick-off on Saturday because, for once, a hunch was correct.
In this, the stoppable force vs movable object derby, where the team with the second worst home record in the Premier League hosted the team with the joint-second worst record away, it felt as though something had to give.
And that something was Brentford giving the embattled Thomas Frank the kindest of reunion gifts, allowing this ground to go through the repertoire of hits at full-time as if it had never been their haunted home.
“Sometimes it just suddenly clicks,” Frank said after Tottenham celebrated just a second league win of the season at home.
“The team has been out of sync in some stages, but today a lot of the players were on the same page. We played with pace, penetration, and were unpredictable. It was just a complete performance.”
And a week on from booing one of their own – Vicario the subject of jeers during the loss to Fulham – this was the day where Spurs fans made amends.
There were extra-loud cheers for Spurs’ goalkeeper when his name was called out in the line-up before kick-off, a moment that made Frank feel “warm inside” after he had previously, and rightly, voiced his ire.
This reconciliation helped contribute towards a feel-good factor before a ball was even kicked, with the atmosphere boosted by Arsenal’s lunchtime loss at Aston Villa as well.
Recognising another game was a clean slate upon which a platform could be built on, Spurs’ fans and players were finally a cohesive unit.
“There was a fantastic energy between them,” Frank added, remarking that a positive atmosphere is far easier to manifest after a victory.
Now there is a real chance for momentum. Spurs welcome Son Heung-min back to this stadium on Tuesday, where the former captain will have a “proper chance to say goodbye” after leaving for Los Angeles FC in the summer while the club were on tour in South Korea.
This return will see Son take to the pitch ahead of kick-off against Slavia Prague, and the timing feels perfect in terms of maintaining this new-found positivity that simply has to last to give Spurs any chance of a deep run in Europe or a top-four push in the league.
And while Son is here, it would be wise to make the most of him. Spurs finally looked capable in his absence in attack against Brentford, but the fact this was a rarity in terms of their overall campaign so far means he can still have a role to play.
A modern great, their fourth highest goalscorer of all time, is back for some closure, and if Son has a moment with the squad, a beeline for the forwards could certainly help their cause.
In particular because right now they are on and upwards’ trajectory. Against Brentford there was plenty to enjoy, with Xavi Simons in particular shining and finally scoring his first goal.
He played like a man with a point to prove, and with Richarlison on the scoresheet too, this felt fitting in a period where Spurs will want to show they have gotten over Son’s exit for good – at the very time he waves a belated farewell.