Brentford 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur: different approach, but the right result – Match Report

Tottenham Hotspur put two goals past Brentford to register their first Premier League win in 2025 and ease some of the pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

A much-needed win for Tottenham Hotspur

This is the first three points in the whole of 2025 for Tottenham Hotspur, and it’s been a great week for the fans, the players, the manager, and probably the chairman too. It was a much-needed win for Spurs, and after dropping points for the last few weeks, they were desperate for a victory to start to look upwards in the table.

There was some surprise with Tottenham’s team selection after Micky van de Ven was left out of the match day squad, with Ange Postecoglou admitted it was purely a precaution while new signing Kevin Danso was not registered in time to feature.

Mikey Moore started on the right with Kulusevski dropping into midfield. Not many options on the bench either, but that didn’t matter as Ange only made three changes in the game.

First half: Brentford 0-1 Tottenham

The first half saw a good 45 minutes of fluid, no-nonsense football. Brentford looked the more intimidating side in the first few minutes, but soon Spurs started getting their chances. Mikey Moore, despite not being in his preferred position, put up a display that masked his age and inexperience. He didn’t misplace a single pass all game—an unheard-of stat for a Spurs winger. He delivered a delightful ball into the box that Richarlison couldn’t quite reach.

Brentford kept firing balls into their left channel for Kevin Schade to chase, and it seemed Schade almost won every duel with Porro. Yet, Porro, not playing too deep, found support from Archie Gray, who consistently blocked low crosses. Despite Porro losing the most duels (13), his higher positioning helped slow down Brentford’s build-up.

Just before the half-hour mark, Spurs took the lead from a chaotic set piece. Heung-min Son whipped in an inswinging corner, which deflected off Vitaly Janelt and wrong-footed Brentford’s goalkeeper. It was almost an olympico goal, but Spurs fans will happily credit their captain for the delivery. Yves Bissouma also played his part, making it difficult for the keeper to claim the ball—something Spurs have suffered from for a very long time.

Despite leading at the break, Spurs had struggled in the final third, registering an xG of just 0.36 compared to Brentford’s 1.11. It was a tightly contested half, but for once, Spurs were the ones benefitting from a bit of luck.

Second half: Brentford 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Mikey Moore was subbed off at half-time, making way for the birthday boy, Lucas Bergvall, with Kulusevski shifting to the wing. The second half began with Brentford piling on the pressure, desperate for an equaliser. Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard continued to cause problems, but Djed Spence and Ben Davies kept Bryan Mbeumo quiet. Not something Brentford would’ve expected.

Spurs looked content to sit back and absorb pressure, something they haven’t done often under Postecoglou. Brentford continued to push for an equaliser, but their final ball was lacking. Meanwhile, Tottenham had a few dangerous counter-attacks, but Brentford’s interceptions kept them in the game.

Djed Spence, in particular, was the standout performer. He looked sharp on the ball, always aiming to progress forward rather than playing it safe. More importantly, he kept Mbeumo from using his physicality, denying him space at every opportunity.

With 3 minutes left for normal time, Spurs scored their decisive second goal. Son, with his seventh Premier League assist of the season, played a perfectly timed through ball, and Pape Sarr finished coolly through Valdimarsson’s legs. Talk about liquid football and this is the kind of goal you think of.

Brentford ended the game with an xG of 2.29—their highest in a Premier League match without scoring—while Spurs finished with just 0.75. The hosts dominated possession (54%) and created more chances, but as they found out, stats don’t win games. Spurs’ resilience did.

Takeaways and conclusion

Credit where it’s due. With so many key defenders missing, Spurs still managed to keep a clean sheet against one of the highest goal-scoring sides at home. Antonin Kinsky made crucial blocks and distributed well, although perhaps a cap would’ve helped in the second half. Ben Davies, or “Mr Reliable,” once again stepped up, with 10 clearances and 9 headed ones—a proper shift from the Welshman.

18-year-old Archie Gray stayed strong despite the home crowd booing him every time he got the slightest touch of the ball. However, this might be the last we see of the Davies-Gray pairing. With Van de Ven ready, Danso available, and Romero nearing return. Expect to see a Van de Ven and Danso partnership next.

But the star of the show? Djed Spence. An incredible goal-line clearance right after Spurs’ second goal was just one of many crucial contributions. A massive hand in today’s clean sheet.

This clearly wasn’t a typical Tottenham game, but sometimes you need to adapt to the opponent and probably your own situation—something Ange did perfectly. This game might’ve seemed more like Conteball than Angeball, but what matters most is those three points, more than a particular style of play.

This result leaves Spurs in 14th place in the Premier League table with plenty of work still to do. Next up, Liverpool away on Thursday in the second leg of the Carabao Cup. Full focus there. COYS!

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