Sports Mole

Brentford boss Keith Andrews may ponder a couple of changes to his starting lineup for Thursday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotsput at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The Bees will boast a largely identical squad to the one that battered Bournemouth 4-1 last weekend, with the possible inclusion of Sepp van den Berg, who missed that win due to a knock.

Andrews remained tight-lipped on the former Liverpool man in his pre-game press conference, though, so there is every chance that Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins will continue as the central pairing.

However, Rico Henry struggled in the showdown with the Cherries - failing to win any of his six ground duels and committing the error that led to Antoine Semenyo's consolation - so Aaron Hickey may be restored.

Andrews should see no need to demote either Yehor Yarmoliuk or Vitaly Janelt, though, meaning that the veteran Jordan Henderson will have to settle for a spot among the replacements again.

Mikkel Damsgaard lost out to Mathias Jensen last weekend, but the Dane came off the bench to set up Kevin Schade's hat-trick goal and will surely operate alongside the German and Keane Lewis-Potter.

Igor Thiago - an apparent transfer target of Tottenham's - also claimed an assist in gameweek 18, but he has now gone five games without finding the back of the net.

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Hickey; Yarmoliuk, Janelt; Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago

Thomas Frank will take his seat in the Gtech Community Stadium away dugout for the first time on New Year's Day, as he takes his Tottenham Hotspur side to visit old club Brentford in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites made light work of the Bees in North London a few weeks ago, but a more daunting assignment awaits the Europa League winners in Thursday's London derby reunion.

Match preview

Two weeks is a long time in football, as Tottenham's Archie Gray discovered in the best way during Spurs' final game of 2025, which took place two weeks on from the teenager's horror show against Nottingham Forest.

On his next away appearance in the top flight, the former Leeds United prospect nodded home the only goal for his side in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over London rivals Crystal Palace, becoming the youngest Englishman to score a top-flight goal for Spurs since Dele Alli almost a decade ago.

Gray's close-range winner snapped a sorry five-game winless run on the road for Frank's side - as well as a two-match losing run in the top flight - but it was not enough to lift them back into the top half of the Premier League rankings approaching the halfway point.

Nevertheless, victory at Selhurst Park reaffirmed Spurs' status as the joint-best Premier League team on the road this season - at the time of writing, only Arsenal and Aston Villa can match their total of 17 away points - but the New Year was as unhappy as it could have been for Spurs in 2025.

Indeed, the Lilywhites lost all four of their Premier League matches in January last season, but there will be no prizes for guessing who Tottenham's last top-flight win in the first month of the year came against.

Frank was at the Brentford helm when Tottenham triumphed 3-2 against the Bees on January 31, 2024, but his successor Keith Andrews can now take Thursday's hosts four points clear of their London rivals with victory in midweek.

Defying the doubters who tipped them for relegation at the start of the campaign, the West London outfit instead have Europe in their sights, moving to within three points of the top five by battering Bournemouth 4-1 in gameweek 18.

Writing a new chapter of Premier League history, the scintillating Kevin Schade became the first German player to score multiple Premier League hat-tricks in that encounter, as Andrews's men prolonged a particularly pleasing home sequence.

Indeed, Brentford have now won four and drawn one of their last five matches at the Gtech Community Stadium - scoring at least three goals in each of those victories - although they are without a clean sheet in nine home games since shutting out Aston Villa in August.

Andrews's men also put up little resistance in their 2-0 defeat to Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December, and they lost by the same scoreline on home soil in February, meaning that they are yet to beat Tottenham Hotspur at home in the Premier League.

Brentford Premier League form:

Brentford form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham's gritty triumph at Palace did not come without sacrifice, as Gray's fellow teenager Lucas Bergvall was withdrawn with an apparent groin injury, but Frank is optimistic that he will be fit for the derby.

However, seven men who are definitely missing for the visitors are Xavi Simons (suspended), Destiny Udogie (thigh), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (ACL), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma (both AFCON), while Brennan Johnson may not be involved amid reports that Crystal Palace have agreed a £35m deal for the Welshman.

Joao Palhinha may therefore be first in line to replace the stricken Bergvall if the Swede is ruled out, but in brighter news, Cristian Romero is back from a ban and ready to displace Kevin Danso, in spite of the latter's standout display at Selhurst Park.

Brentford boss Andrews also faced the media on Tuesday, but he gave little away on defensive regular Sepp van den Berg, who missed the thrashing of Bournemouth due to a knock.

Long-term knee victims Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva and Antoni Milambo are still on the road to recovery, though, while Dango Ouattara and Frank Onyeka are on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

An alleged Tottenham transfer target for the January window, Igor Thiago has now gone five games without finding the back of the net in the Premier League, although he did set up one of Schade's strikes last time out.

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Hickey; Yarmoliuk, Janelt; Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Gray, Bentancur; Kudus, Bergvall, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

We say: Brentford 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham's dogged display against Palace may prove a false dawn for a side as consistently inconsistent as Frank's, who are now visiting a ground where goals at both ends are often a guarantee.

The Lilywhites have tended to fare well at the Gtech Community Stadium in recent years, but they may have to settle for a point on this occasion against Andrews's goal-happy Bees.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached an agreement to sell Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace in January.

The 24-year-old is wanted by a number of Premier League sides, with Bournemouth also supposedly keen on the attacker.

Johnson was a key force for Spurs last season, scoring 18 goals across all competitions as Ange Postecoglou's side lifted the Europa League.

However, the Wales international has fallen down the pecking order under Thomas Frank, who is taking the club's forward line in a new direction.

As a result, Johnson has started just six Premier League matches this season, scoring twice and failing to record any assists.

Tottenham, Palace 'agree' Johnson deal

According to The Athletic, Tottenham and Crystal Palace have shaken hands on a deal for winger Johnson ahead of the January window

The report states that the Eagles are set to fork out close to £35m for the services of the 24-year-old right-sided attacker.

However, the player himself is yet to make a decision on his future, amid interest from other parts of the Premier League.

The Welshman would become the fourth-highest sale in Spurs history behind Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Kyle Walker.

Johnson is said to be Palace's number-one target for the New Year window, with Oliver Glanser's side desperate to bolster their attacking ranks.

Change in fortunes for Johnson

At the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Johnson was holding aloft a European trophy as a key part of the Tottenham plans.

Fastforward to the end of the calendar year and the attacker is nearly out of the North London door, with a switch to Crystal Palace pending on his approval.

As a result, Johnson could be swapping Champions League nights for Conference League jaunts to faraway countries in 2026.

Tottenham Hotspur will kick off the new year with a Premier League away game against Brentford on Thursday.

Spurs are sitting in 11th place in the Premier League table, while Keith Andrews's side are a point better off in eighth position.

Here, Sports Mole provides details of how to tune into the New Year's Day fixture.

What time does Brentford vs. Spurs kick off?

The contest will get underway at 8pm on Thursday evening.

Where is Brentford vs. Spurs being played?

Spurs boss Thomas Frank is set to return to the Gtech Community Stadium for the first time since leaving his position as Brentford head coach at the end of last season.

Frank was on the losing side when Tottenham recorded a 2-0 victory on their most recent visit to Brentford in February.

How to watch Brentford vs. Spurs in the UK

TV channels

Sky customers will be able to watch the game live on the Sky Sports Premier League channel.

Streaming

The match is also available to watch on Sky Go or on the Sky Sports app. Alternatively, non-Sky customers can access the game by purchasing a NOW TV pass.

Highlights

Match highlights will be shown on Match of the Day, which starts at 10:40pm on BBC One on Thursday. There will also be highlights on the Sky Sports app and the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel.

What is at stake for Brentford and Spurs?

Brentford will be looking to record a third consecutive victory after following a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers with a dominant 4-1 victory against Bournemouth.

The Bees have not beaten Tottenham Hotspur at home since March 1948, but they can take confidence from the fact that they have won four of their previous five matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Meanwhile, Spurs will be aiming to record a second consecutive win after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday.

Frank could complete a league double over his former club after overseeing a 2-0 success in the reverse fixture earlier this month.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window.

Spurs are adamant to bolster their squad in the January window to get their season back on track after the owners injected £100m into the club earlier this season.

Adding a top-quality winger is reportedly high on Thomas Frank's wishlist, with the likes of Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson failing to make an impact on the left.

Spurs were heavily linked with a move for Savinho during the summer, but they are unlikely to reignite interest after the attacker signed a new deal in October.

The north London club have been heavily linked with a move to Antoine Semenyo, but they have reportedly no chance of landing him after the AFC Bournemouth attacker decided to move to Man City.

Spurs eye move for Marmoush?

If Tottenham struggle to add a new wide player next month, they could instead look for a more central forward and shift Richarlison or Randal Kolo Muani out wide.

According to a report from the Evening Standard, Spurs are interested in signing Marmoush, who could further drop down the pecking order if Semenyo arrives.

Marmoush completed a £59m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January and started in 14 of his 16 Premier League appearances in the second half of last season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists.

This season, he has struggled to secure regular game time, having been restricted to just two starts in 10 Premier League appearances, and Man City reportedly fear that the player could move to Spurs.

Marmoush would be a fantastic addition

Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to make it successive victories in the Premier League when they head to Brentford on New Year's Day.

Spurs will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, with the result leaving Thomas Frank's side in 11th spot in the Premier League table, four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham’s latest injury and suspension news ahead of the contest against Brentford, who are eighth in the division.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Maddison has been sidelined since sustaining an ACL injury in August, and the Englishman is targeting a return to action during next year's pre-season.

Dominic Solanke

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: Unknown

Solanke underwent ankle surgery at the end of September, and he remains on the sidelines, with a clear return date for the striker unclear at this stage of proceedings.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Kulusevski is still recovering from a knee injury that he picked up towards the end of last season, and a return date for the attacker is unclear at this stage.

Yves Bissouma

Status: Out

Type of injury: Suspension/AFCON

Possible return date: Unknown

Bissouma remains suspended due to “an internal matter” relating to the midfielder being filmed inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon earlier this year, while he is currently with the Mali squad at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Destiny Udogie

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: January 1 (vs. Brentford)

Udogie picked up a hamstring injury towards the end of Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle on December 2, and the defender will not be back until the start of 2026.

Pape Sarr

Status: Out

Type of issue: AFCON

Possible return date: Unknown

Tottenham are currently without the services of Sarr due to the midfielder's involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations for Senegal.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR’S SUSPENSION LIST

Xavi Simons

Status: Out

Possible return date: January 7 (vs. Bournemouth)

Summer arrival Simons remains unavailable for selection due to suspension, with the attacker sent off in the recent Premier League contest with Liverpool.

Archie Gray become Tottenham Hotspur's youngest scorer in the Premier League since Dele Alli in January 2016, with his strike also coming against Crystal Palace.

Spurs battled at Selhurst Park on Sunday and earned a 1-0 victory, thanks to Gray's goal in the 42nd minute.

The teenager struck after a corner kick led to chaos in the penalty box, with the youngster rising high and flicking his head back against the ball from close range.

Aged just 19 years, 291 days, Gray is Tottenham's youngest Premier League scorer since Dele Alli, who also netted against Crystal Palace, but he did so aged 19 years, 287 days.

It was also the teenager's first ever goal for any club at senior level, with his drought ending in his 112th match.

Was Crystal Palace victory a false dawn for Spurs?

It is important to note that Spurs were encountering a Palace side that had struggled for form, and the loss against Spurs means the Eagles have now lost five and drawn two of their last nine games in all competitions.

That triumph was Thomas Frank's second in nine Premier League games, and the win reveals little about whether the club are on the road to recovery.

The head coach has faced significant scrutiny for his team's lacklustre attacking displays, and it is worrying that his team's win against Palace was the seventh time in nine league matches that they failed to produce an expected goals figure of at least one.

Frank will hope that the return of stars like Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski can boost the club's ability to create chances, though perhaps they will have to delve into the transfer market to solve their problems.

Top four: Will Tottenham qualify for the Champions League?

Spurs are now 11th with 25 points, but they trail fourth-placed Liverpool by seven points, a substantial gap considering Tottenham have only collected seven points in their last seven league fixtures.

The Londoners' next period of games looks favourable on paper given they face Brentford, Bournemouth, Sunderland, West Ham United and Burnley.

Failure to take numerous points in that stretch could prove costly as they will then face Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal in their following four games.

Qualifying for the Champions League will be difficult, but there is no reason to think that Spurs cannot qualify for either the Europa League or Conference League.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka.

The Germany interntional has made 287 competitive appearances since joining Bayern from Schalke in the summer of 2018.

Goretzka continues to enjoy regular game time in the Bundesliga, but he has failed to start any of Bayern's six Champions League matches, suggesting his importance to the squad is not as big as it once was.

The 30-year-old is also facing an uncertain future at the Allianz Arena, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Frank keen on Goretzka move

Goretzka's situation has alerted Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are said be seriously considering a January move.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk are reporting that intermediaries have offered Spurs the chance to sign the Bayern man.

The report suggests that Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is interested in the move, believing that Goretzka could be a 'dependable' addition to his squad.

However, other key individuals in Tottenham's recruitment team seem to be sceptical about pursuing a deal for Goretzka.

At this stage, it seems unlikely that Spurs will make a real effort to sign Goretzka in January or as a potential free agent in the summer.

Do Spurs need midfield reinforcements?

Spurs are not strangers to turning to Bayern for midfield reinforcements after recruiting Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan deal in the summer.

Frank can also call upon Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur as his central midfield options.

However, Yves Bissouma appears to have been deemed surplus to requirements after struggling with injury and experiencing disciplinary issues this term.

A space could open up in Tottenham's midfield ranks if they are able to offload Bissouma in the January transfer window.

Manchester City are reportedly fearful that Omar Marmoush could join Tottenham Hotspur in the new year.

After completing a £59m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January, Marmoush went on to start 14 of his 16 Premier League appearances in the second half of last season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists.

However, Marmoush has struggled for regular game time in the current campaign due to injury and selection decisions, having been restricted to just two starts in 10 Premier League appearances.

The Egypt international is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but that has not stopped his club future from becoming the subject of transfer speculation ahead of the January window.

Tottenham eyeing Marmoush transfer

According to Caught Offside, Man City 'fear' they could lose the forward to fellow Premier League side Tottenham in 2026.

The report suggests that Spurs are showing an interest and could offer Marmoush the chance to play regular football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, Tottenham's hopes of pulling off a January deal have been dealt a blow by Man City's reluctance to sanction Marmoush's departure at the midway point of the season.

As a result, any proposed move to Tottenham may have to wait until the summer, meaning that Marmoush may have to settle for a squad role for the remainder of the season.

The Egyptian is also at risk of falling further down the pecking order if Manchester City succeed in their effort to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

Why are Spurs considering Marmoush move?

Tottenham strengthened their centre-forward options in the summer transfer window, converting Mathys Tel's loan move from Bayern into a permanent transfer and recruiting Randal Kolo Muani on a season-long loan move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Thomas Frank also has Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in his squad, although the latter has missed the majority of the campaign through injury.

While Solanke remains on the sidelines, Richarlison has contributed with seven goals in 17 Premier League appearances this season.

However, Spurs still appear to be open to the prospect of signing a new striker, and Marmoush seems to be an option despite struggling for game time at Man City.

The 26-year-old proved that he has an eye for goal during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, where he racked up 37 goals in 67 matches.

Marmoush primarily plays a striker, but he also possesses the ability to drop into a number 10 position or play off either flank, which could appeal to Tottenham.

Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign AFC Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window.

Several Premier League clubs, such as Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Liverpool, were linked with a move for Semenyo in January, but he reportedly prefers a move to City instead.

The Ghana international has been in cracking form for the Cherries this season, scoring nine goals and registering three assists in 17 appearances in the Premier League.

Man City are second in the Premier League table, two points behind Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola wants to bolster the attacking ranks to mount a successful title challenge.

Bournemouth sets deadline for Semenyo?

It has been widely reported that Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract, which should be triggered by the first ten days of January.

According to a report from The Mirror, Semenyo wants a potential transfer to City to be wrapped up before the January 1, but Bournemouth have other plans.

The Cherries would like their star man to hang around for some big games next month, until the 10th of next month, including crunch matches against Arsenal and Tottenham.

While City are in pole position to land the 25-year-old, Guardiola has refused to comment on the transfer speculation after the 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Man City could sell attacker if Semenyo arrives

It has been reported Man City attacker Oscar Bobb is seriously considering a move away from the Etihad Stadium during the January window.

The Norway international arrived at the club in 2019 from Valerenga, made his first-team debut for City in 2023, and has made 47 appearances in total for the club.

The exciting attacker sustained a fractured leg on the eve of the 2024-25 campaign and has started nine games for City across all competitions this season.

Fulham and Crystal Palace are reportedly vying for his signature, and he could be allowed to leave if Semenyo arrives in January.