Last time out, Tottenham Hotspur earned a gritty 1-0 win over Everton to stave off relegation (by sending West Ham down to the Championship). Apparently, the club brass was not so comfortable getting that close to disaster and set out to prevent a third-straight pathetic campaign by signing…a whole lot of expensive players. Roberto De Zerbi has been unequivocally backed, and now he must make good on that support.
For Brentford, losing Thomas Frank was clearly not an issue, as the Bees improved on the 2024/25 season by moving up a spot to ninth place. Oddsmakers are less optimistic about this upcoming campaign, predicting a bottom-half finish, though avoiding relegation should not be an issue. Mamadou Sangare headlines the incoming signings after a solid year at Lens and should slot right in the middle of the formation.
Obviously, season openers are going to come with some rust, especially with so many new faces wearing Lilywhite. Spurs are 2-2-0 in their past four opening weekends, with all four coming up against clubs that eventually finished in the bottom five. Even if Brentford is likely better than that mark, Tottenham supporters will be eager for quick improvements after a 2025/26 to forget and a subsequent summer of fireworks.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 12:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm UK
Location: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford
TV: NBC/Peacock (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
These two sides met in Matchweek 1 three years ago, with the Ange Postecoglou era beginning with a 2-2 draw against Frank at the Gtech. Spurs have actually won four of the five matches in this fixture since then, with the 2-0 win in North London last December soon followed by that ominous 0-0 draw on New Year’s Day which may have essentially ended Frank’s tenure at Tottenham.
Optimistically refreshed
Perhaps there are some long-term concerns with De Zerbi seemingly running the whole transfer process, but at least for this season, there should be some clear tangible benefits. The common theme amongst the big signings is ball progression and passing amongst the back six, and Brentford should provide an opportunity to see that in action right away.
Keith Andrews’ side is likely to lean on a heavy press, which should play into the new Spurs system which invites defenders in to allow for exploitation of the space behind them. Of course, this comes with risks, as turnovers in that part of the pitch are deadly, and many of the projected starters are unfamiliar with each other, with miscommunications a possibility.
Still, the optimist in me is excited to see what this sort of play looks like. Tottenham has lacked tactical purpose for far too long, and there is reason to believe in De Zerbi’s selections. It may not be flawless in Matchweek 1, but I am willing to bet supporters are going to be excited by the new squad’s introductory 90 minutes as the manager’s vision will be clear.
Pessimistically puzzled
In addition to the potential return (continuation) of defensive miscues, there are still many open questions in attack. De Zerbi seems to have many more thoughts on how to generate goals than his predecessor, but it is still unclear if the available personnel will be able to capitalize. It does appear that reinforcements are finally on their way, but Saturday will still look awfully familiar.
Regardless, it is going to take some time for supporters to believe that this team can and will consistently get the ball into dangerous areas and then convert them. Moving the ball up the pitch is obviously essential, but it is those final 18 yards that have been causing the most headaches. While Brentford does not project to be camping out in its own box all day, the burden of proof falls on the Tottenham attack.
Richarlison and Dominic Solanke are still here, which might be enough to do some damage in the early part of the season at least, but this still feels like wishful thinking. Add in the threat of counters going the other way if (when?) the Spurs attack fizzles out and suddenly old fears are rightfully renewed. While the midfield is absolutely revamped, the targets have not exactly improved this summer.
Realistically here for the ride
No one will be shocked if this ends up in a draw with a costly defensive mistake and continued cluelessness near the opposition goal; in fact, past season openers suggest that is probably the correct expectation. With limited improvement offered up front, and an opponent coming off a frustratingly more impressive season, do not expect many pundits to be thinking too differently either.
Despite all that, the game is about glory, as are the dreams of supporters. De Zerbi got his midfield duo, got in some impressive centerbacks, and at least picked out some attacking targets. He has a vision — one that has proven to work elsewhere — and the pieces he has assembled in North London are starting to make that foundation clear. It may take time for it all to fully come together, but it also will not be hard to step over the bar of the last two seasons.
Regardless, I am looking for wins right away. Tottenham will not see a big six club until after the (expanded) international break, and while there are no bottom feeders amongst the first five matchweeks, these are the sorts of contests that can clearly demonstrate that improvement has been made. Saturday is just the first of 38, but a strong performance — that yields three points — would help put last season in the past.
