Brentford FC

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has demanded an improvement from his side when Tottenham Hotspur come to Gtech Community Stadium on New Year's Day (8pm kick-off GMT, live on Sky Sports), after a disappointing defeat in the reverse fixture in north London.

The Bees were beaten 2-0 by Thomas Frank's side at the start of December, and Andrews is insistent that the west Londoners "have to perform better" this time around.

"The close proximity of the two games means it's a nice opportunity to face them again and, more importantly, perform better," said Andrews.

"In that game, we didn't hit the heights that we had previously done in the majority of our other games.

"They're a difficult opponent, clearly. They have very talented individuals with really good attributes that can nullify certain strengths that teams have.

"We need to perform individually and collectively better than we did on that day; I've spoken about it publicly and privately. We need to own that and take absolute responsibility for it.

"We know what type of game it will be against Spurs, it will be very difficult. So we'll have to perform better."

Andrews also praised Kevin Schade - after his hat-trick against Bournemouth in the last game - and Mathias Jensen, who have both been in good form of late, ahead of the clash on 1 January.

On Schade, first, the Bees boss said: "He's crucial to this team. He's grown since he's been at the club.

"We saw it last season, when he got into the flow and rhythm of his game, he relished the consistency of his selection, and his confidence grew from there.

"The attributes that he has, along with the calmness he showed for that perfect hat-trick, show what he's about.

"It was a brilliant performance from him."

Discussing Jensen, Andrews added: "I've been impressed with him ever since I came to the club. I've been quick to recognise his attributes, on and off the pitch.

"It's not just his experience of the Premier League and this football club - what it means to play here and how it ticks.

"But I've always been keen to praise Mathi and recognise what goes on behind the scenes, which not everyone is privy to.

"And his performance levels have been very, very good. He made an impact off the bench before this run of starts, and I tend to think that if you do that consistently then you'll get your reward, and he's got just that."

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews provided an update on top goalscorer Igor Thiago ahead of the Bees’ Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day (8pm kick-off GMT, live on Sky Sports).

Thiago has scored 11 goals in 18 Premier League appearances this season, and Andrews praised the forward for playing through some pain in recent weeks.

“Thiago had a bit of an issue, but nothing to do with his injury last season at all,” said Andrews.

"This time of year takes its toll, and we need to be careful with some players at times.

“He showed a lot of bravery and courage to play against Wolves and gave us that platform.

“He played really, really well against Wolves and gave us that base to win the game. Players fed off him: Keane Lewis-Potter with his goals and Kev [Schade] was looking dangerous that day.

“There’s nothing too much to worry about. He’s shown a lot of courage and put the team before himself going into the last couple of games.”

Andrews added: “Again, this time of year, naturally you pick up little bits and bobs. The games are coming quite frequently.

“We’re still a couple of days out so we’ll see how everyone is tomorrow and make decisions about the team.”

Defender Sepp van den Berg will be assessed having missed Brentford’s 4-1 win over Bournemouth due to a knock.

Josh Dasilva (knee ligament) remains sidelined, while Fábio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo will both miss the rest of the campaign due to ACL injuries.

Matt Verri, sports reporter at Standard Sport, has explained how head coach Thomas Frank is likely to set up his Tottenham Hotspur side on his first visit to Gtech Community Stadium since departing Brentford in June.

Frank has started to settle on a formation and approach in recent weeks, adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation with Archie Gray establishing himself in the side as one of the two players in front of the defence.

How would you summarise how things have gone for Tottenham Hotspur over the last few weeks since the meeting with Brentford?

It has been another mixed bag for Tottenham. It feels like every time you think they have turned a corner, they then take a few steps back. That win over Brentford was a good one, then they beat Slavia Prague a few days later.

They were attacking well and had won two matches in a row - then they went to Nottingham Forest and produced one of their worst performances of the season so far, so that was a major step back for Thomas Frank and put the pressure back on him.

Then there was the chaos of the Liverpool match, which they lost 2-1. They are just so difficult to predict.

With hindsight now, it feels like those wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague were as much to do with the way those teams approached the match as Tottenham did because, as soon as they then face sides who are a bit more physical and do not sit back as much, they do seem to really struggle.

Has the sentiment towards Frank changed at all over the past few weeks?

I think it is more of the same. In general, a lot of Tottenham fans are probably still unconvinced.

There has just not been enough of a consistent run of the team playing in an attacking manner, in terms of patterns of play coming out.

They have lost a lot at home this season and in the calendar year, but I would say the loss to Liverpool was probably one the fans were not as angry with as they have been recently.

There was a lot of effort from the players, they were down to nine men and they were still giving Liverpool problems.

So, it is a similar situation before that first Brentford match in that some fans are convinced, some are still on the fence and some have probably already made their minds up that he's not the man.

Until they find a consistent run of results and performances, I think Frank is still going to be in this limbo situation.

He keeps saying it is not going to be a quick fix at Tottenham and that any manager would need time to turn this around. Fans accept that it will take time for him to get a style of play across but, along the way, they want to see a bit more evidence that they are on the right path.

He is a very level-headed guy; even when they lose, in his press conferences, he has generally been pretty calm and continues to insist it is about adding layers and slowly building towards the future.

Obviously, the question is how patient Tottenham are going to be with that if results do not improve.

The January transfer window is coming up. What do you think Spurs need to do in the market, if anything?

In the summer, they were very keen on signing a left winger. Savinho at Man City was their big target and they were definitely willing to spend big on him if he became available, but City were insistent he was not for sale.

As the season has gone on, you can see a signing on the left would be key as they have fluctuated between Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson, with none of them particularly convincing.

I think a left winger is probably top of the priority list in January. They have been linked with Antoine Semenyo, but a lot of clubs are going to be interested in him, so I am not sure how realistic that is.

Longer term, I am sure they would like to strengthen in goal, and probably add another midfielder, too.

Before the previous game, you said Mohammed Kudus was the one to watch. Is that still the case, or is there another player Brentford fans should be keeping an eye on?

Simons is suspended for this game, so there is going to have be a bit of reshuffle. I would imagine it could be a chance for Lucas Bergvall to get some more minutes, potentially as the no.10.

Mohammed Kudus’ form has dropped off in the last few weeks, so I would say Randal Kolo Muani has probably been Tottenham's best player in attack. He had a couple of bad injuries when he first joined; a dead leg that went on for about a month, then he fractured his jaw.

But I think that match against PSG, when Kolo Muani scored twice, proved a bit of a turning point and he has been really bright.

He looks probably the most clinical of Tottenham's players at the moment. He works really hard, he is direct and powerful up front. It depends on how Frank rotates over Christmas as Richarlison always seems to get goals.

What should Keith Andrews’ side expect in terms of shape and style?

More so in recent weeks, Frank has started to settle more on a formation and approach.

This has mainly been 4-2-3-1, with Archie Gray establishing himself in the side as one of those two in front of the defence, which rotates between João Paulinha and Rodrigo Bentancur.

It had been Xavi Simons as the key creative player, but that is going to have to change now. I would imagine it will still be a similar shape, maybe Lucas Bergvall as the no.10, then Odobert on the left.

It will be the same sort of approach in terms of a lot of crosses, fairly direct, and a lot of that does still come down the right with Pedro Porro and Kudus.

What's your prediction for this one?

The reverse fixture was one of the few matches where Brentford's levels dropped in general; they have been more impressive than they were then.

I think Tottenham could struggle without Simons. Without him a month ago when he was not in the team, they struggled to create.

I am going to go 2-1 to Brentford.

Matt Verri, sports reporter at Standard Sport, has explained how head coach Thomas Frank is likely to set up his Tottenham Hotspur side on his first visit to Gtech Community Stadium since departing Brentford in June.

Frank has started to settle on a formation and approach in recent weeks, adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation with Archie Gray establishing himself in the side as one of the two players in front of the defence.

How would you summarise how things have gone for Tottenham Hotspur over the last few weeks since the meeting with Brentford?

It has been another mixed bag for Tottenham. It feels like every time you think they have turned a corner, they then take a few steps back. That win over Brentford was a good one, then they beat Slavia Prague a few days later.

They were attacking well and had won two matches in a row - then they went to Nottingham Forest and produced one of their worst performances of the season so far, so that was a major step back for Thomas Frank and put the pressure back on him.

Then there was the chaos of the Liverpool match, which they lost 2-1. They are just so difficult to predict.

With hindsight now, it feels like those wins over Brentford and Slavia Prague were as much to do with the way those teams approached the match as Tottenham did because, as soon as they then face sides who are a bit more physical and do not sit back as much, they do seem to really struggle.

Has the sentiment towards Frank changed at all over the past few weeks?

I think it is more of the same. In general, a lot of Tottenham fans are probably still unconvinced.

There has just not been enough of a consistent run of the team playing in an attacking manner, in terms of patterns of play coming out.

They have lost a lot at home this season and in the calendar year, but I would say the loss to Liverpool was probably one the fans were not as angry with as they have been recently.

There was a lot of effort from the players, they were down to nine men and they were still giving Liverpool problems.

So, it is a similar situation before that first Brentford match in that some fans are convinced, some are still on the fence and some have probably already made their minds up that he's not the man.

Until they find a consistent run of results and performances, I think Frank is still going to be in this limbo situation.

He keeps saying it is not going to be a quick fix at Tottenham and that any manager would need time to turn this around. Fans accept that it will take time for him to get a style of play across but, along the way, they want to see a bit more evidence that they are on the right path.

He is a very level-headed guy; even when they lose, in his press conferences, he has generally been pretty calm and continues to insist it is about adding layers and slowly building towards the future.

Obviously, the question is how patient Tottenham are going to be with that if results do not improve.

The January transfer window is coming up. What do you think Spurs need to do in the market, if anything?

In the summer, they were very keen on signing a left winger. Savinho at Man City was their big target and they were definitely willing to spend big on him if he became available, but City were insistent he was not for sale.

As the season has gone on, you can see a signing on the left would be key as they have fluctuated between Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson, with none of them particularly convincing.

I think a left winger is probably top of the priority list in January. They have been linked with Antoine Semenyo, but a lot of clubs are going to be interested in him, so I am not sure how realistic that is.

Longer term, I am sure they would like to strengthen in goal, and probably add another midfielder, too.

Before the previous game, you said Mohammed Kudus was the one to watch. Is that still the case, or is there another player Brentford fans should be keeping an eye on?

Simons is suspended for this game, so there is going to have be a bit of reshuffle. I would imagine it could be a chance for Lucas Bergvall to get some more minutes, potentially as the no.10.

Mohammed Kudus’ form has dropped off in the last few weeks, so I would say Randal Kolo Muani has probably been Tottenham's best player in attack. He had a couple of bad injuries when he first joined; a dead leg that went on for about a month, then he fractured his jaw.

But I think that match against PSG, when Kolo Muani scored twice, proved a bit of a turning point and he has been really bright.

He looks probably the most clinical of Tottenham's players at the moment. He works really hard, he is direct and powerful up front. It depends on how Frank rotates over Christmas as Richarlison always seems to get goals.

What should Keith Andrews’ side expect in terms of shape and style?

More so in recent weeks, Frank has started to settle more on a formation and approach.

This has mainly been 4-2-3-1, with Archie Gray establishing himself in the side as one of those two in front of the defence, which rotates between João Paulinha and Rodrigo Bentancur.

It had been Xavi Simons as the key creative player, but that is going to have to change now. I would imagine it will still be a similar shape, maybe Lucas Bergvall as the no.10, then Odobert on the left.

It will be the same sort of approach in terms of a lot of crosses, fairly direct, and a lot of that does still come down the right with Pedro Porro and Kudus.

What's your prediction for this one?

The reverse fixture was one of the few matches where Brentford's levels dropped in general; they have been more impressive than they were then.

I think Tottenham could struggle without Simons. Without him a month ago when he was not in the team, they struggled to create.

I am going to go 2-1 to Brentford.

Two first-half goals saw Tottenham Hotspur beat Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday.

In Thomas Frank's first game managing against the Bees, Xavi Simons put the ball on a plate for Richarlison for the opener, before the midfielder netted his first goal in a Spurs shirt from outside the area shortly after.

Nathan Collins, Jordan Henderson, Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago returned to the starting XI, with Ethan Pinnock, Rico Henry, Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen dropping to the bench.

Tottenham asserted their dominance inside the opening 15 minutes: Micky van de Ven had a header go over the bar, Richarlison had a half-volley blocked by his own team-mate inside the area, and Xavi shot over the bar from distance in a positive start for the north Londoners.

The Bees' first chance came from some great play by Collins. The centre-back robbed Richarlison of the ball and drove into the final third, before playing a ball into space for Thiago. The centre-forward fired a shot at goal from a relatively tight angle, which Guglielmo Vicario palmed away for a corner.

On 25 minutes, the hosts took the lead. A ball was played over the top towards Xavi in a wide area, and the attacking midfielder squared to Richarlison, who had the simple task of tapping in from close range at the far post.

Caoimhín Kelleher made a great save to prevent another Spurs goal. A Pedro Porro corner was headed back across goal by Cristian Romero and, just inside the six-yard box, Randal Kolo Muani's header was clawed away by the Bees keeper and cleared.

Xavi did make it 2-0 for the hosts on 43 minutes. The Dutchman did really well to win the ball back on the halfway line, before driving into the penalty area and firing a low effort into the bottom corner.

The Tottenham supporters were left wondering how they weren't 3-0 up five minutes after half-time. Collins lost possession of the ball inside the penalty area, and Djed Spence looked destined to score. He was one-on-one with Kelleher, but the Republic of Ireland international made another good stop to keep the west Londoners ahead.

Mohammed Kudus picked up a loose ball in midfield and tried his luck from the edge of the box shortly after but Kelleher, once again, got down well and held his effort.

After some Tottenham pressure, Kelleher gave the ball away and Richarlison was the recipient, with the goalkeeper out of his goal. The Spurs striker gave it to Xavi, who was in a more central position, but Kelleher did enough to get back into position and stop his shot.

Thiago had two separate opportunities later in the second half, when he received the ball inside the box, but a couple of brilliant tackles from Van de Ven and Romero thwarted the striker.

Frank's side thought they had another with 12 minutes to play, when the ball dropped to Kudus and, from the tightest of angles, he somehow squeezed the ball into the back of the net, but Xavi was offside in the build-up.

Another brilliant Kelleher save kept the score down when Wilson Odobert found himself unmarked inside the area and, after having some time to pick his spot, the keeper came out and smothered the ball to keep it at 2-0.

Thiago had one more effort with the clock ticking into stoppage-time, as he picked up the ball after a series of headers inside the area, but he lashed his shot into the side netting.

Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode (Hickey 76), Collins, van den Berg, Ajer (Henry HT); Henderson, Yarmoliuk (Janelt 76), Damsgaard (Jensen 61); Ouattara (Lewis-Potter 88), Thiago, Schade

Unused subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Onyeka, Donovan

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero (Danso 80), Spence; Bentancur (Palhinha 65), Gray; Kudus (Sarr 80), Xavi, Kolo Muani (Odobert 74); Richarlison

Unused subs: Kinsky, Tel, Bergvall, Johnson, Davies

Attendance: 60,759

Andrews 'disappointed' by Tottenham defeat

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews admits that his side "didn't hit the levels" in the 2-0 loss to Tottenham.

"I'm disappointed, clearly. It's a game we came into feeling we could absolutely compete and get a result from - the players' confidence levels were pretty high," said Andrews.

"The reality is that we didn't perform in the first half, and we have to own that. We'll search for the reasons as to why that was.

"The league is so demanding - the individuals that you come up against, what you do with and without the ball, etc. - you have to be at a certain level to compete in this league and we weren't quite there.

"Our lads have been immense all season, our performance levels have been consistent as we look to grow this team and take a new step. Today, we didn't hit the levels that we've become consistent with."

Damsgaard: We needed to play with more intensity and energy

On his 100th Premier League appearance, Brentford midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard reflected on the defeat to Spurs.

"It was very disappointing," he said. "We made a lot of bad mistakes; I thought we could have played a lot better.

"There's a lot to think about."

He added: "We needed to be a lot better, we need to play with a lot more intensity and energy.

"It felt like they wanted it more than us. That's disappointing because normally we are a team that is good at fighting but, today, we didn't."

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has made four changes for this afternoon’s Premier League game against Tottenham (3pm kick-off GMT).

The Bees head into this match looking to bounce back from a midweek defeat to Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal, while Thomas Frank's side have won just one of their seven home games this campaign.

Nathan Collins, Jordan Henderson, Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago return to the starting XI, with all four coming on as substitutes at Emirates Stadium.

Ethan Pinnock, Rico Henry, Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen drop to the bench for the Bees at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Damsgaard set for his 100th Premier League appearance.

After missing the 2-0 loss on Wednesday, Aaron Hickey is named on the bench.

Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Ajer; Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago, Schade

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Henry, Onyeka, Jensen, Janelt, Donovan, Lewis-Potter

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Spence; Bentancur, Gray; Kudus, Xavi, Richarlison; Kolo Muani

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has discussed coming up against Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off GMT).

The Irishman replaced Frank at the helm after he departed the west Londoners for Spurs in the summer.

Asked if he’s looking forward to reuniting with Frank and the other staff members who made the move across the capital, Andrews responded: "Very much so.

"Thomas is someone I regard as a friend. He’s a big part of the reason why I wanted to come to the club.

"I had a really good working relationship with Thomas and learned a lot from him. I’ve seen up close and personal how he operated and the way he worked within the structure of this football club.

"I have a lot of respect for him and what he achieved at this football club. He was a really successful part of the club’s history.

"It’ll be nice to see them [Frank and other ex-club staff] tomorrow in and around the game."

With several Brentford players also coming up against their former head coach and other colleagues for the first time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Andrews admitted that the match will have a different feel.

"We’re not robots," he continued.

"I say this to the players all the time, I treat them as people first, and then as players.

"Naturally, there will be emotions of certain levels involved in the game because players had relationships with the staff.

"I think that certainly comes into play, but equally we’re preparing for a game that we want to absolutely compete in, go there with a lot of confidence and show what we’re about."

Brentford head coach Keith Andrews says that Igor Thiago, who has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season, is “in a good place” ahead of Saturday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur (3pm kick-off GMT).

Thiago joined Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard and Jordan Henderson on the bench for Wednesday night’s visit to Arsenal, while Aaron Hickey was not included in the squad for the 2-0 defeat at Emirates Stadium.

Asked if Thiago will start against Tottenham, Andrews said: “I’m not going to tell you the team, but he’s clearly in a good place.

“He’s playing very, very well. He’s going from strength to strength and we seem to be speaking about him a lot. And rightly so because he’s been magnificent.

“His mental strength is pretty evident, considering the type of season he had last year, where he’s come from in his career, playing in different countries and now ending up here, having an impact in the most demanding league in the world.”

Asked about his decision to rotate his squad for Brentford’s game against Arsenal, the Bees boss said: “I have zero concern about making changes, it’s needed at times because it’s a long season.

“You don’t achieve anything with 11 players. The feel of the group needs to be fresh. Every player needs to feel involved in the process on a day-to-day basis.

“To see the way we approached the game the other night, which was fearless, was very pleasing but not surprising.”

Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford  Brentford FC

Brentford take on Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in our next Premier League fixture on Saturday 6 December (3pm kick-off GMT). The match will not be broadcast live in the UK.

If you are heading to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, here is everything you need to know to ensure you are ready for your visit.

Digital tickets are in use for this matchday and you will receive an email with instructions on how to download yours.

Fans are reminded to show respect to our hosts at all times before, during and after the match.

Getting to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

It is recommended that you use TfL services to travel to north London. The surrounding areas are extremely busy on matchdays. Please plan your route to the stadium in advance and allow more time than usual for your journey.

The nearest TfL overground station to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is White Hart Lane. The station is fully accessible and is approximately a five-minute walk to the stadium.

Northumberland Park station is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. Greater Anglia services to these stations operate from Liverpool Street Station, or from Cambridge if coming from the north.

Victoria line and London Overground services operate from Seven Sisters station, which is approximately a 30-minute walk to the stadium. The station does not have step-free access.

Tottenham Hale station is also around a 30-minute walk from the ground and is served by the Victoria line, and the station is fully accessible.

There is no planned disruption on matchday. Please use the National Rail journey planner or the TfL status updates page to check your route before setting off.

Bus

The stadium is well-served by Transport for London buses that run as usual across Haringey on matchdays, with the High Road routes subject to diversion due to matchday road closures.

It is not advised to travel by car

There is no parking available for general admission fans at the stadium. Some roads closest to the stadium are closed before, during and after a match.

On matchdays, general traffic will not be able to access parts of the High Road between White Hart Lane and Lordship Lane/Lansdowne Road from two hours before and up to one hour after the match.

The local area is under an Event Day Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), which is in operation on matchdays. You will not be able to park in this zone without a permit.

Ticketing information – digital tickets are in use for this fixture

Tickets for this fixture will be distributed digitally. You will receive your ticket(s) by email ahead of the match. Please follow the instructions on the email to get your ticket ready on your phone.

For those that have requested a physical ticket or have sent a duplicate ticket request, the away ticket office which is located in the north-east corner of the stadium, opposite turnstile 11.

Any duplicate ticket requests must be sent to Tottenham Hotspur by the Brentford box office. Please contact Brentford's box office with any enquiries ahead of matchday.

If you’re collecting your ticket at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, please remember to bring ID.

Please also observe and respect the family friendly seating. Anyone who holds a ticket in this area is reminded that they should be seated for the duration of the match.

Accessibility

Blue Badge parking for Brentford supporters at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is fully booked.

Tottenham Hotspur has accessible entrances, accessible viewing areas and hearing loops at food and drink counters. Find out more and contact Spurs’ access team on their accessibility page.

Your matchday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Bees fans will be in blocks 114-118 in the north-east corner of the stadium, accessible through entrance 11 and 12.

The easiest way to get to the entrance is via Worcester Avenue which runs parallel to the east side of the stadium. Turnstiles are open two hours before kick-off.

It is advised that you don’t bring a bag to the match. Clear carrier bags and personal bags, size A4 or smaller, will be searched on entry.

The away section serves a wide variety of food, including fish and chips, hotdogs, pies and shawarma, and there is a large menu of alcoholic and soft drinks. Concessions open two hours before kick-off.

Have a safe trip and enjoy the match!