Going into Brentford vs Tottenham, I had Spurs winning 2–1.
I got that one badly wrong.
After strengthening significantly during the summer transfer window, particularly in defence, I expected Tottenham to arrive at the Gtech Community Stadium looking like a side ready to make a statement.
Instead, they were comfortably beaten 3–0 by Brentford — and in truth, it could have been worse.
Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt put Brentford two goals ahead before half-time, with Michael Kayode adding a third shortly after the break. Igor Thiago then had the opportunity to make it four from the penalty spot, only to hit the post.
Brentford were great value for the victory.
For Spurs, this wasn’t simply about losing the opening game of the season. It was the manner of the defeat that should be concerning.
Brentford vs Tottenham Exposed Spurs’ Biggest Problem
Tottenham have spent £237million on six new signings this summer as Roberto De Zerbi attempts to rebuild a side that has finished 17th in consecutive Premier League seasons.
There was plenty of new blood on show at Brentford.
Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson were among those making their competitive Tottenham debuts, alongside Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali in the starting XI.
Yet despite all the changes, Spurs offered very little threat going forward.
They failed to register a shot on target during the first half and finished the game with an expected goals figure of just 0.47.
That is nowhere near good enough.
I don’t necessarily think Tottenham’s problem is the quality of the players they have brought in. There is plenty of talent in this squad and James Maddison, who came on late in the game, is still working his way back towards full fitness.
What worries me more is the lack of firepower at the top end of the pitch.
Richarlison simply doesn’t cut it for me as the man Tottenham should be relying on to lead the line.
Dominic Solanke is another player who, for me, hasn’t consistently reached the standard you would expect from a striker at a club with Tottenham’s ambitions. His club form ultimately wasn’t enough to earn him a place in England’s World Cup squad this summer either.
Spurs need goals, but against Brentford they rarely looked like creating them.
There was no creative spark and very little to suggest they were capable of changing the direction of the game.
‘We’re Not A Team Yet’ Is A Worrying Admission
After the defeat, De Zerbi admitted that Tottenham are “not a team yet.”
I find that worrying.
Of course, integrating new players takes time. Tottenham have changed a significant amount of their squad and some players returned late following the World Cup.
But Spurs have also had a summer and a pre-season to prepare for the new campaign.
You cannot arrive at the first game of the Premier League season looking this far away from being ready.
What made Brentford vs Tottenham so concerning was how little response Spurs offered once the game began to get away from them.
This wasn’t a narrow defeat against one of the title favourites either. It was a comprehensive 3–0 loss against a Brentford side many people expect to be battling around the middle of the Premier League.
There is nothing wrong with a manager admitting his side needs improvement, and I actually prefer that honesty to pretending everything is fine.
But saying your team isn’t a team yet after the season has already started highlights just how much work still needs to be done.
Brentford Deserve Their Credit
It would be unfair to make the entire story about how poor Tottenham were because Brentford were excellent.
They attacked Spurs from the beginning, played with creativity and always looked threatening.
More importantly, they looked like they wanted it more.
There was an intensity to Brentford’s performance that Tottenham simply couldn’t match.
They created chance after chance, scored three and probably should have scored four.
While Tottenham looked like a collection of players still figuring each other out, Brentford looked organised, confident and completely clear about what they wanted to do.
That deserves a lot of credit.
What Brentford vs Tottenham Means for Spurs
For all the criticism, there also needs to be some perspective.
It’s one game.
I’m not going to completely change my opinion of Tottenham’s season based on 90 minutes of football, however bad those 90 minutes were.
The opening weekend is always strange. Every club wants to make an immediate impression, new signings are settling in and teams are still finding their rhythm.
Spurs have enough quality to recover.
Maddison returning to full fitness should give them more creativity, while De Zerbi still has time to get his new players playing the football he wants.
But they need to get their act together quickly.
After consecutive 17th-place finishes, Tottenham supporters have already endured two difficult Premier League seasons. They won’t want another one.
That’s why I’m not going to make a dramatic prediction about where Spurs will finish after one match.
Give them five games.
By then, we’ll have a much better idea whether Brentford vs Tottenham was simply an opening-day disaster that Spurs can quickly forget — or the first warning sign of another difficult season in north London.
What we can say already is that £237million has bought Tottenham plenty of new players.
Now De Zerbi needs to turn them into a team.