Tottenham Hotspur

So, defensively sound, ‘the big take away’ for Thomas, but he also felt we didn’t have the ‘final offensive edge’ that might have taken us to victory – Caoimhin Kelleher wasn’t seriously tested either, but produced a late save down to his left to deny Richarlison.

Speaking to us afterwards, Thomas reflected: “It was a robust team performance away from home. Brentford have been very good against a lot of other good teams, the wins, we talked about that before the game. The way we defended, they only managed to have seven shots in the whole game, that was a big take away, a good clean sheet.

“Obviously, we want more on the ball. The amount of unforced errors, where it didn't help us to create more, was obviously too big. So, on the day, we didn't have the final offensive edge that could have given us the goal or goals.

“I've seen a lot of teams coming here, just completely open up and they just go run the other way and concede three goals. So, that side, we managed. The other side, we didn't do well enough. I think we had 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 good half transitions where the final touch or the pass was not where it wanted to be. So, I think that was disappointing.

“It’s a robust, resilient performance, we need to have that, and then we need to add layers. We need to add offensive layers, we need to do more there, we need to produce more, no doubt about that, but the other bit is the foundation in a hectic period and a hectic season where you play so many games.

“If you can't win, don't lose. Then, clean sheets. So, half of it was done - we just needed to score that goal.”

A New Year’s Day stalemate took place at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday evening as we played out a rare goalless draw in the Premier League.

In fact, it was our first 0-0 draw for 137 games, bringing to an end the longest such run in Premier League history and, ironically, our last 0-0 was also against Brentford at this venue in April, 2022.

Chances were few and far between as Thomas Frank returned to his former club for the first time, with Gugliemo Vicario keeping a clean sheet on his 100th Spurs appearance. Archie Gray had one of our best opportunities, almost making it back-to-back goals after netting against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but his goalbound header was blocked, while Keane Lewis-Potter fluffed his lines with Brentford’s best chance.

Just 26 days after our 2-0 win over the Bees at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we took the best away record in the division to west London and the match started brightly. Gray saw an effort blocked after just three minutes and just moments later, Kevin Schade had the ball in the net from close range after a corner, but he was offside and it was ruled out.

That suggested a lively encounter ahead, but it never materialised as defences were on top and neither side could really get going in attack. There were 32 minutes on the clock before another sight of goal, Pedro Porro sending over a cross which fell to Richarlison beyond the back post, he clipped the ball back in and Gray’s header was goalbound but Nathan Collins got back to block before Richarlison blazed the rebound wide.

Just before the interval, a half-chance came our way when a long throw was cleared to Wilson Odobert who hit a fierce drive which might have troubled Caoimhin Kelleher had it not been blocked. Then, on the stroke of half-time, Brentford broke away when Lewis-Potter released Schade down the left and into the box, he cut inside Pedro Porro and prepared to shoot but Rodrigo Bentancur was there to clear away the danger and we went in goalless at the break.

There wasn’t a great deal of change to the pattern of play in the early stages of the second half although we had another shot blocked in the 50th minute, Cristian Romero running onto a loose ball but drilling an effort from the edge of the box against Kristoffer Ajer. The hosts then created a glorious opening as Yehor Yarmoliuk centred a cross for Lewis-Potter but he completely scuffed his shot and we were able to clear and, after VAR dismissed our penalty claims for a Schade tackle on Gray inside the box, the Bees went close again on 63 minutes, Vicario pushing away Vitaly Janelt’s header.

Good work from Michael Kayode saw him fashion a chance for Igor Thiago but Brentford’s top scorer blazed high over the bar from 10 yards out, while we saw yet another shot blocked in the 73rd minute, Mohammed Kudus this time with the effort after a corner had been cleared to the edge of the box.

It got nervy in the final stages as both sides knew any goal would probably win the match and there were very few clear opportunities, Vicario having to come and deal with some high balls into his six-yard box while at the other end, Richarlison almost got on the end of Bentancur’s low cross but Brentford defended well to deny him a sight of goal. Our first shot on target of the second period came at the end of a quick counter in the third minute of stoppage time, Randal Kolo Muani’s cross landing at the feet of Richarlison but his effort was saved low down to his left by Kelleher and we had to settle for the draw – strangely a frequent outcome on our visits to the Gtech.

We can confirm the starting line-ups and substitutes for tonight’s Premier League trip to Brentford (Thursday 1 January, kick-off 8pm UK).

Thomas Frank has made three changes to the team that started at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Captain Cristian Romero returns following suspension in place of Kevin Danso, while Joao Palhinha comes into central midfield in place of Lucas Bergvall, who isn’t involved tonight after being forced off at Selhurst Park.

In the attacking areas, Wilson Odobert comes in for Randal Kolo Muani.

Here’s our team in full...

Starting XI: Vicario, Palhinha, Richarlison, Gray, Romero (c), Kudus, Pedro Porro, Spence, Odobert, Bentancur, van de Ven.

Substitutes: Kinsky, Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Davies, Olusesi, Tel, Kolo Muani, Scarlett.

Brentford line up as follows...

Starting XI: Kelleher, Henry, Henderson, Schade, Thiago, Yarmoliuk, Ajer, Collins (c), Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Kayode.

Substitutes: Valdimarsson, Hickey, ven den Berg, Pinnock, Jensen, Nelson, Damsgaard, Konak, Donovan.

Will Lankshear was back on the scoresheet for Oxford United on New Year’s Day, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his side from suffering a 2-1 defeat at high-flying Ipswich Town.

The striker latched onto the ball and drilled home an angled shot on 34 minutes, cancelling out Jaden Philogene’s opener for the hosts.

But Chuba Akpom restored Ipswich’s lead five minutes before the break and that’s how it stayed, with Kieran McKenna’s side moving up to second in the Championship. Managerless Oxford, meanwhile, are 23rd.

Will completed 84 minutes before being substituted.

His goal was his sixth of the campaign so far.

Jamie Donley has been recalled from his loan at Stoke City.

The 20-year-old versatile midfielder moved to the Championship outfit on 6 August and provided an assist on debut in their opening day 3-1 win over Derby County three days later.

Jamie departs the Potters having made six appearances in all competitions – four league and two Carabao Cup.

Martin Ho spoke of the special connection that is building with our Lilywhite fanbase during his first six months at the Club.

It has been a memorable opening six months for our Head Coach, after joining us in July, 2025, from SK Brann, as we currently sit fifth in the table and have already matched last season’s points tally - with some strong performances against Arsenal and Manchester United.

And while Martin has heaped plenty of praise on the players and staff, he also wanted to highlight the impact the supporters have made in each game – whether that’s at home or away.

We recorded our highest-ever Barclays Women’s Super League attendance at Brisbane Road for the north London derby, and saw a terrific following away at London City Lionesses – and Martin has been very ‘thankful’ to our fan’s support so far this season.

Watch | Martin Ho looks back on the season so far

“There have been many moments, but the one that really hit me was London City Lionesses away,” he told us.

“The result was disappointing, but large parts of our offensive performance were good. From start to finish - whether we were up or down - the fans were right behind us. That’s when I really felt we’ve got something special here that we can build on.

“I’m always thankful to them. They take time out of their weekends, travel long hours, and support us midweek too. That doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s infectious for us as a group. I remind the players that we perform first and foremost for the fans and the club - how we feel personally comes second.”

Following the festive break, our first game of the new year sees us at home to Leicester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League and tickets are now available for the clash at Brisbane Road.

Secure your seats now and join us in E10!

We begin 2026 – and reach the half-way stage of the Premier League season – with a Thursday night trip to Brentford as Thomas Frank returns to the Gtech Community Stadium for the first time since taking over as our Head Coach in the summer.

Here’s everything you need to know as we prepare for a swift reunion with the Bees, less than a month after beating them 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

What time does the match start?

The game begins at 8pm UK time.

How can I watch the game?

The match will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League.

If you’re following us from overseas, head over to our Spurs on TV web page to see if the game is on in your region.

As always, our Match Centre here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app will bring you full live text and audio commentary throughout the game, while video highlights will be available across club channels from two hours after the full-time whistle.

A full match replay will then be available on SPURSPLAY from midnight after the game.

What is the team news?

Thomas admits there is a “small doubt” over Lucas Bergvall after he was forced off against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but the boss is nevertheless hopeful that the midfielder will be okay to feature on Thursday night.

Cristian Romero is available after serving a one-match ban for his sending-off against Liverpool, but Xavi Simons is still suspended.

Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke are still out, while Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Igor Thiago and Sepp van den Berg will be assessed by the hosts, while Josh Dasilva, Fábio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo remain in the treatment room for them. Frank Onyeka and Dango Ouattara are unavailable due to AFCON.

Who is the referee?

Andy Madley will referee the match, assisted by Lee Betts and Simon Bennett.

The fourth official will be Simon Hooper.

VAR duties, meanwhile, will be handled by Alex Chilowicz and assistant Tim Wood.

Which kit colours will the teams be wearing?

Brentford will wear their usual red-and-white striped shirts, complete with black shorts and black socks.

For the second match in a row, we’ll be wearing our all-yellow third kit.

Brentford’s goalkeeper will be in green, with ours in blue.

What will the weather be like?

It’ll be cold on Thursday night with temperatures at around four degrees, although it’s expected to stay dry.

What is the travel information?

Supporters heading to watch the match live should take note of our travel advice bulletin here.

In fact, Brommapojkarna is where the young forward began her career and she made an instant impact into life as a senior professional at the Swedish second division side.

Making her debut at just 15 years old, one month shy of her 16th birthday, the energetic attacker took just 16 minutes to find the back of the net as she scored the opening goal in a 4-4 draw with Sandvikens IF. She went on to make 17 appearances in total in her first full season at senior level, netting two goals overall.

Matilda represented Brommapojkarna for the opening months of the 2021 campaign, featuring in seven games, before making the switch to Swedish top-flight side AIK Fotboll in August – a club that has strong family connections with her grandfather, father and sister all having spells there.

The 21-year-old made her debut for the club in a 1-0 win over Djurgardens IF, going on to make 10 appearances that campaign, before joining Elitettan side Bollstanas SK on a short loan.

Returning to AIK Fotboll the following season, her maiden campaign in the top tier, Matida featured in 27 games and scored her first goal for the club in October, 2022, netting two goals in total that term.

She was then selected to represent her country at the Under-19 UEFA European Championship in Czech Republic – Matilda Vinberg (also Sweden) and Cathinka Tandberg (Norway) also featured at the tournament – and she helped her nation reach the semi-final of the competition.

In 2023, Matilda recorded her best goalscoring return to date, scoring an impressive 23 goals in 25 games in the Elitettan (Swedish second division) – including three hat-tricks in the league - to inspire AIK to the league title and promotion back to the top flight – and that certainly caught the eye of one of the best sides in the country.

After receiving her first call-up to Sweden Under-23s in February of that year, where she started on her debut for the young side and provided an assist in a 4-1 friendly win over Denmark, the exciting forward joined BK Häcken for the 2024 season.

Her first appearance for the side came in the UEFA Women’s Champions League – officially her debut in the competition – against Paris Saint Germain in the quarter-finals.

Matilda’s league debut would come in the April of that year before opening her account in a 2-1 win over her former side AIK Fotbol a month later. She went on to complete 24 league games in total, scoring seven goals and registering two assists, as they missed out on the title on goal difference to finish second.

Most recently this term, she was part of the team that secured the Damallsvenskan title by four points ahead of Hammarby IF. Matilda made 25 appearances and registered six goal involvements (one goal and five assists) – with one of those assists coming in a 2-0 victory over Djurgardens IF which secured their name as league champions in November.

She also netted twice more in the Swedish Cup, racking up 63 senior appearances in total across her two seasons with the club, scoring eight goals in total and providing seven assists.

After suffering defeat in the qualifying round to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, BK Häcken competed in UEFA’s first-ever edition of the Europa Cup in October and November, with Matilda featuring in all four games prior to joining Spurs this winter.

Matilda Nilden - First Day  Tottenham Hotspur

Matilda Nildén outlined how Spurs is the perfect place for her – and already has some big ambitions for when she pulls on a Lilywhite shirt.

The 21-year-old Sweden youth international will join us in January, 2026, from BK Häcken, becoming our third addition of the January transfer window already – with Signe Gaupset and Hanna Wijk also set to become Spurs players next month.

Having had spells with IF Brommapojkarna and AIK Fotboll prior to her two years at Hacken, the young forward has already racked up 144 senior appearances in the early stages of her career – and now she is ready to make her mark in north London.

"It feels amazing,” Matilda told SPURSPLAY as a Spurs player for the first time. “I'm so excited and really happy to be here. I think this is the right step for me because the club wants to develop players and I feel they have a clear plan for me.

“I'm young and this feels like the next step in my career. I've spoken to Martin [Ho] and Andy [Rogers] - and I really liked our conversations. They like the way I play and that gave me a good feeling.

“I've watched the English league for many years, and it has always been a dream to play here. To now be at Spurs is really special.

"I'm an aggressive attacker,” she explained, when asked about her style of play. “I like to play on both the left and the right side. I would say I have good eyes for the game – I'm a smart player, quite fast and I always try to give my best. I like to defend as well as attack, and I enjoy pressing and using my strengths to help the team."

Joining a new environment midway through a season can be a daunting experience, but it always helps to have a familiar face in the team – no more than your sister!

Matilda will link up with her older sister Amanda Nildén in the new year and she is looking forward to meeting up with her in a Spurs shirt and help the team build on a strong start to the season.

"I'm excited to play with everyone – and of course, especially with my sister,” she beamed. “I think my team-mates would describe me as a happy player who usually brings good energy and tries to put a smile on everyone's face.

"I really hope I can help the team push on. The season so far has been really good and it's been fun to watch the team play. They're playing great football, and I think we can build on that and become a top team."