Spurs claim first league win in seven weeks as they battle past Brentford
Tottenham were in no position to spurn a crucial goal off somebody’s backside and, give or take a few centimetres, that is exactly what they were handed here. Their season had been in freefall but a first league victory since 15 December was well earned, particularly given the scratchy resources at Ange Postecoglou’s disposal. Another makeshift backline, in which Archie Gray was outstanding, withstood one of the division’s toughest physical examinations and deserved their luck at the other end through Vitaly Janelt’s first-half own goal.
The Brentford goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson, making his first top-flight start due to Mark Flekken’s injury, should have spared Janelt’s blushes in dealing more decisively with the corner that struck his teammate. But he was less culpable three minutes from time when Pape Sarr, finishing deftly after being played through by Son Heung-min, made the points safe. Postecoglou, who knew his team would have to scrap, leapt off the bench and punched the air.
For nearly half an hour the harum-scarum had yielded little. Brentford were naturally keen to impose themselves on a Spurs defence that, despite his comeback against Elfsborg on Thursday, did not include the sorely missed Micky van de Ven. The Dutchman’s minutes were, Postecoglou explained before kick-off, being managed; the new loan signing Kevin Danso had, meanwhile, not been registered in time to play.
Morten Damsgaard drew an early block and Kevin Schade, briefly sensing he had got away down the left, saw Gray in the way of his centre. The first real glimpse of Spurs’ skittishness emerged in the 12th minute when Antonin Kinsky, having dithered on a backpass, presented it straight to Schade. A shot was not quite on so he sent the ball wide to Bryan Mbeumo, whose delivery was headed a foot over by Yoane Wissa.
The traffic would continue broadly in the same direction, Wissa flicking another header off target soon after a goalbound Schade effort struck Gray. The main source of exercise for Tottenham’s fans before the opener came through sporadic chants demanding that Daniel Levy, still the main focus of the majority’s angst, step down. A cross-shot from Dejan Kulusevski that narrowly evaded a sliding Richarlison had been their best on-pitch moment before Brentford offered them a gift.
It arrived after a rare Spurs attack brought a corner, Yves Bissouma’s shot looping over via a deflection. Son swung in the left-sided set piece and, while the delivery was characteristically devilish, it should have been dealt with by a defence with significant height advantage. But Valdimarsson found himself boxed in near his goalline by Bissouma, who is hardly a colossus, and could only flap desperately as the ball flew in off Janelt’s back.
Kinsky was rather more convincing as Brentford sought an immediate response, batting away a vicious drive from Christian Nørgaard. But Spurs could sense an opportunity to revel in the counterattacking spaces they so enjoy and, from one break, Kulusevski fizzed agonisingly across goal after a delightful turn. The angle was closing but he would have been entitled to test Valdimarsson’s resilience.
Before half-time Mbeumo examined that of Richarlison, thudding a volley into his opponent’s face. The Brazilian was up and about quickly enough and, while hardly worth their lead on the balance of play, Tottenham could consider their hosts were yet to turn the screw. Gray, in particular, was impressing hugely with his positioning at the back.
Nonetheless it was little surprise to see Postecoglou introduce Lucas Bergvall for the 17-year-old Mikey Moore, a thrilling prospect but lost in this particular arena, for the second half. Bergvall, himself only 18, was slalomed past by Kristoffer Ajer during a high-tempo re-emergence from Brentford. That move ended with Kinsky tipping away Nørgaard’s tricky cross; moments later a much better chance was spurned when Schade flicked on and Wissa, arriving at speed directly in front of goal, blasted over via the top of the bar.
It was a let-off for Tottenham, who would make the game virtually safe if they scored a second goal. Kulusevski and Bergvall both shot narrowly wide before the hour, Brentford’s revival having dulled at this point. While the Bees were regularly invited to aim set pieces into Spurs’ danger zone they were being repelled with what, by the visitors’ recent standards, was a rare level of authority.
