Cartilage Free Captain

Remember what it was like to win matches in the Premier League? You’d be forgiven if you’ve forgotten, because it’s been a while. But Owen Goal and Prime Minister Sarr gave Tottenham Hotspur a 2-0 away win at Brentford, and a clean sheet to boot! The win puts Spurs up to 14th in the table — not great, but should put talk about a “relegation battle” to rest.

It’s time to rate the players.

Rate the players from 1⁄2 to 5 stars. If the player doesn’t deserve a rating due to minutes played, DO NOT RANK. I will round the stars up/down to the nearest half-star for the player ratings later this week.

It looks like Kevin Danso might not be the only defender Spurs add today. According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs and Chelsea have agreed to a deal that would send Alex Disasi to Hotspur Way on loan, with NO purchase option or obligation.

So it’s an interesting position Spurs are in with this deal. For starters, THEY HAVE A DEAL FOR A PLAYER WITH CHELSEA. That’s extremely unusual, these sides have refused to negotiate since the whole Luka Modric saga. So that’s one thing.

The other thing is what Romano says about personal terms. Disasi has agreed terms with Aston Villa, but Chelsea don’t want to improve a Champions League rival. They are, however, willing to loan to Spurs, but Disasi hasn’t yet agreed to join Tottenham. So we’re kind of in limbo until Spurs can convince Disasi to join. Maybe Big Ange can phone Disasi and rizz him up a bit?

I don’t hate the idea of a dry loan if we’re looking for defensive bodies to play in rotation. That appears to be what a Disasi loan would be. Let’s see how it shakes out — my guess is that he eventually agrees.

Tottenham Hotspur is back to winning ways in the Premier League as the side left Gtech Stadium with a grueling 2-0 victory over Brentford on Sunday morning.

With the teamsheet announced more than an hour before kickoff and not seeing Mickey van de Ven on the teamsheet, many were left asking, ‘Did he get hurt yet again?’

But Ange Postecoglou reassured at his pregame press conference that with three games upcoming and a huge semi-final clash at Liverpool with a Carabao Cup final on the line that, “We’re just trying to manage his minutes, “ Ange explained at the Gtech. “It’s a quick turnaround and with speaking with the medical team and Micky himself, we’ll just keep him on ice this weekend, give him another week training and then hopefully he’ll be ready for the end of the week.”

Taking on a great mid-table Brentford side that has the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa taking over the team with Ivan Toney gone for good, Spurs defense was in a treat to hold things down.

One particular defender who came out to showcase his skills was Djed Spence. Tasked with taking on Mbeumo in one-on-one action at left back, Spence pocketed Mbuemo for the majority of the match as he kept the in-form winger from taking over in the game.

Playing on the back foot for most of the first half, Spurs capitalized when it mattered most. Earning a corner kick with Son Heung-min at the right corner flag, the captain sent in an in-swinging ball to the crowded six-yard box. Seeing the ball bounce off the back of Vitaly Janelt — who battled Yves Bissouma for the position in front of his keeper — Son put another Olimpico into the back of the net thanks to the own goal.

Brentford’s final big chance in the half came way off a corner kick with a deflection coming to the path of a first-time volley chance for Mbeumo. Hammering his shot for what looked to be a goal, Richarlison put his head in line with the shot to give way to a corner.

Leading 1-0 into the locker room, Spurs made a change with Lucas Bergvall beefing up the midfield with Mikey Moore coming off as he was bullied off the ball on multiple occasions.

Sitting back and dealing with relentless pressure from Brentford in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, Spurs defense did its job as the onslaught was handled well.

Spurs put the game to bed for good in the 87th minute with Rodrigo Bentancur hitting Son on the left wing with Spence overlapping the captain. With space in the middle and Pape Sarr streaking down for a perfect ball to come his way, Sonny hit a pass for Sarr to get a first-touch shot underneath Hákon Valdimarsson and a crucial 2-0 lead.

Holding on in the end for a 2-0 win, Spurs picked up its first points in the league since the 2-2 draw against Wolves on December 29th.

Man-of-the-match performance for Djed Spence as his one-on-one defending against Mbuemo involved a lot of pace and abilities to pocket the winger. On the other end, Spence made pushes down the flank in the early stages to try and get the ball rolling into the box for his side.

Now, Spurs turn focus to the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield, with the side entering enemy territory with a 1-0 lead.

Tottenham Hotspur FC, or Vibes FC? There’ll have been a better feeling around Hotspur Way this week as a win in the Europa League spurred (heh) by the performance of three youth products saw Tottenham qualify for the Round of 16.

Every silver lining has a cloud, however, and after losing yet another player to injury in the shape of Radu Dragusin, Spurs now have to return to the realities of the Premier League to face Brentford. The Gtech Community Stadium has been a bit of a graveyard for many a big team over the last couple of seasons... so with Spurs sitting in 16th(!) on the table, maybe they have a chance?

Who knows what will happen next in this rollercoaster of a season. I’m feeling sick, and I’d quite like to get off.

COYS!

Lineups

Live Blog

How to Watch

Brentford vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Gtech Community Stadium, London, UK

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Time: 9:00 a.m. ET, 2:00 p.m. UK

TV: USA Network, Sky Sports Premier League (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: nbcsports.com

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Have fun, and COYS!

Hey, remember how bad we all felt when Mathys Tel said “No” to a Tottenham Hotspur transfer straight to Daniel Levy’s face? Well prepare to get even more upset. Tottenham’s preferred target for a central defense addition this window, AC Milan and former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, has now officially rejected a move to Spurs.

Sigh.

Fikayo Tomori has officially said no to Milan: he will not accept Tottenham. Milan and Spurs had an agreement for a transfer worth over 25 million. The English centre-back will be available for the derby tomorrow.

I guess it’s not a surprise after the earlier news that he did not want to leave Milan before the Milan Derby tomorrow, but this still sucks. It means Spurs’ top two targets in this window (after Antonin Kinsky) have flat-out rejected a move to Tottenham, despite Spurs coming to an agreement with their clubs.

Now, I’m of the opinion that you can’t (and shouldn’t) force players to a club against their will, and if a player doesn’t want to come then we’re better off without them. But it still sucks. Hopefully Spurs have more irons in the fire besides Alex Disasi, because it’s starting to get ridiculous now.

Suddenly all these potential Tottenham Hotspur transfer moves for central defenders makes more sense. In a Daily Telegraph piece that’s mostly about Spurs lining up Axel Disasi as a backup plan in case the Fikayo Tomori deal collapses, our good buddy Matt Law does drop some info about Radu Dragusin.

Radu appeared to injure his knee shortly after coming on as a second half substitute during Tottenahm’s 3-0 Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday. He tried to go back on the pitch and play but it was quickly apparent that something was seriously wrong. Law writes that while Spurs are waiting on the results of scans to evaluate the extent of Dragusin’s injury, the initial signs don’t look good.

Dragusin and Spurs are still waiting to find out the full extent of his injury with no definitive time frames put on his absence yet. But there is concern he could be ruled out for most of the rest of the campaign, which has heightened Tottenham’s desperation to sign a new defender before the winter transfer window shuts.

— Matt Law, Daily Telegraph

So sure, the sudden urgency about a central defender (or two) makes a lot more sense now. Spurs only had four first team CBs to start with, Cuti Romero is still working his way back, Micky van de Ven is freshly back after another hamstring injury, and Ben Davies is almost 32 years old. You’d think a defensive body or two would suddenly leap to the top of the priority list.

Some fans are going to scoff or make jokes about how losing Dragusin is “good” because he hasn’t especially been playing well. It’s true that it doesn’t appear Dragusin is a particularly good fit for Ange Postecoglou’s tactics, but he’s also a young guy and has been putting in warrior’s minutes in the back line during the injury crisis. You gotta respect that, even if you don’t like him, and losing him for an extended period just makes Postecoglou and Tottenham’s job even harder.

Four wins in seven matches is not where Tottenham Hotspur wants (or expects?) to be, and when all four victories come in non-Premier League fixtures, assessing the club’s form becomes even more challenging. Wins over Hoffenheim and Elfsborg helped secure a finish near the top of the Europa League table, but defeats to Everton and Leicester have Spurs getting uncomfortably close toward the bottom of the Premier League.

What comes next is anyone’s guess. Logically, a trip to Brentford should be less intimidating than upcoming ties against Liverpool and Villa, but would it be even slightly surprising if Sunday ended up as the only non-win of the three? At this point, I would gladly take that outcome, but we will see just how willing Ange Postecoglou and his squad are to make it eight straight league fixtures without three points.

Brentford (11th, 31pts) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (15th, 24pts)

Date: Sunday, February 2

Time: 9:00 am ET, 2:00 pm UK

Location: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford

TV: USA Network (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

From a results perspective, Brentford has had a fairly steady season. Only twice have the Bees lost consecutive league matches, and neither time did it extend to three. On the flip side, they have yet to win back-to-back contests, placing them 11th in the table with nearly neutral goal difference and xGD figures. Brentford ranks sixth in both goals scored and goals conceded this season, so get ready for some excitement.

One of Brentford’s two instances of back-to-back defeats included a loss at the new Lane in September. Despite an opening-minute goal from Bryan Mbeumo, Spurs dominated that day, amassing 3.5 xG. Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, and James Maddison all found the back of the net in a 3-1 win, even with one of the team’s lowest possession tallies of the year.

A question of how much

It was a strong defensive showing on Thursday night, but Tottenham is still without a clean sheet in the league in seven matches, with the last six all featuring multiple goals conceded. Given Brentford’s attacking record this season and recent form — nine goals in the past four weeks — the home side is almost certain to score, and likely multiple times. Players like Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, both with double-digits league goals, are the key threats.

Radu Dragusin is the latest Spurs player to suffer an injury, though Micky van de Ven is back available. The electric central defender played half the match against Elfsborg and may not be fit enough for a full 90 again this weekend. With options dangerously thin at the back, Postecoglou may opt for another partial inclusion to preserve van de Ven’s health, while also keeping him fresh for the more important League Cup on Thursday.

Embrace it

Brentford plays much better at home but is winless in its last four matches at the Gtech. Still, Thomas Frank will have his side playing aggressively, looking to win and maintain possession. Aside from Arsenal, this kind of setup seems to favor Spurs, as it allows them to exploit counterattacks. The defense remains vulnerable regardless of how aggressively the opposition plays, so might as well help out the attack.

The main issue with an end-to-end affair is fitness, as the temptation will be to prioritize Liverpool. I do not expect a squad full of academy players, but after the jubilation on Thursday, I would be content seeing Mikey Moore and company get significant minutes to energize the team. Lucas Bergvall is another youngster continuing to feature in league matches, and this game may ultimately hinge on how productive Tottenham’s youth can be.

Tottenham Hotspur may have missed out on their top offensive target, but they’re making headway to bring in a defender in what’s left of the transfer window. Both Gianluca DiMarzio and Fabrizio Romano are reporting now that Spurs have made a formal offer to bring in the AC Milan (and former Chelsea) central defender on what could be a permanent deal.

First, DiMarzio writes that Spurs have offered AC Milan a transfer fee of €30m, which has put them in front of Aston Villa for his signature.

Romano, meanwhile, says Spurs are “in negotiations” with Milan for Tomori, but notes that he’s one of three possibilities for a defensive reinforcement in this window. Spurs are also making headway on personal terms; Tomori appears to be on wages of about £71k/wk, so a healthy pay bump for a prime age defender with Premier League experience probably won’t be much of an issue.

With Radu Dragusin injured (and even when healthy) Tottenham could use another defender to bolster their ranks. Tomori is a defender who knows the league, is comfortable on the ball, and a good passer — seems like a good fit for Ange-Ball if you ask me.

So don’t Tel-egraph your feelings about failed transfers — get excited about another one that also might fail! Isn’t the transfer window fun?

Update: Matteo Moretto is now reporting that Tottenham’s bid is even lower than what DiMarzio says — a €25m all-inclusive package that includes bonuses. Sounds like a bargain.

Bad news, folks. Despite Daniel Levy personally flying out to Munich in order to negotiate with Mathys Tel’s agent, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Tel has rejected Spurs’ offer and will not be joining the club, on loan or permanently.

Shit.

I really thought this one was in the bag, but maybe I should have taken more stock in the fact that Tel was asking for more time to consider Spurs’ offer. I guess the idea of heading to a team in 15th place in the Premier League and possibly with no European football next season was too much of a burden? Or maybe he just wanted more money, or had his little French heart set on Manchester United. Who knows.

But this sucks. Spurs will now need to pivot to other targets — they’ve been linked with Tyler Dibling, Youane Wissa, and Stefanos Tzimas in recent days. Hopefully Lange’s got a few more irons in the fire.

More transfer news, and this one’s a bit exciting! While most of the Tottenham Hotspur rumors this month have been about attacking players, Gianluca DiMarzio is now reporting that Spurs are currently working on a loan deal for AC Milan and former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori.

Tomori has been used somewhat sparingly at Milan this season after being at the heart of central defense for four seasons, and lurking around a few Milan message boards, the reason he’s not playing much now is apparently that Tomori fell out with then-manager Paulo Fonseca and subsequently fell down the pecking order.

Tomori profiles as a ball-playing central defender, which is actually a pretty good fit for Ange Postecoglou’s tactics. With Radu Dragusin injured for who knows how long, bringing in a body for the back line makes a ton of sense, especially on loan. Ange Postecoglou also mentioned that the club is looking at defenders in the waning days of the window due to Dragusin’s injury.

DiMarzio says that Spurs have leaped ahead of Aston Villa, the other interested club, for Tomori and that the player would like a return to the Premier League. It’s not much, but it’s something, and DiMarzio usually isn’t wrong with regards to the major Italian clubs.

I know he’s former Chelsea and that would make him the first blue scum player to move to Spurs since William Gallas, but at this point we need bodies, and if he’s not a perfect fit for Postecoglou, he at least looks like a central defender who a) can do a job and b) is uninjured.