Brentford 3-0 Tottenham: Big-spending Spurs start new Premier League season with dismal defeat
Report and free match highlights as Spurs were easily beaten 3-0 at Brentford in their Premier League season opener; Spurs failed to have a first-half shot on target; Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt scored first-half goals; Michael Kayode added a third as Igor Thiago missed a penalty
Saturday 22 August 2026 20:25, UK
A woeful Tottenham started their new Premier League season dismally with a 3-0 loss at Brentford despite a big summer of spending.
After avoiding relegation on the final day last season, Spurs have splashed out £237m on six signings so far this summer - but any hope of immediate change has quickly been extinguished with a shocking display in west London.
First-half goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt, followed by Michael Kayode's finish just four minutes into the second half, gave the Bees a deserved victory as Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp praised their "total football".
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Spurs gave competitive debuts to five new signings, but it was Brentford's club-record signing Mamadou Sangare who stole the show as he set up the first goal and ran the game in midfield.
Roberto De Zerbi's side's miserable season opener at the Gtech Community Stadium could have been worse, only for Igor Thiago to miss a 55th-minute penalty.
Tottenham failed to have a shot on target in the first half and registered a full-time expected goals of just 0.47 compared to Brentford's 3.96, heightening the need for the potential forward arrivals of Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City.
But those two alone will not be able to fix Spurs, who put in a dreadful performance which showed why they have finished 17th in back-to-back seasons.
In fact, this was Spurs' joint-heaviest opening-day defeat of a Premier League season, leading Redknapp to label De Zerbi's new-look side as "a team of strangers".
Brentford, meanwhile, will be buoyed by their resounding win as they look to qualify for Europe this season after missing out on Conference League qualification on goal difference last campaign.
The key moments from west London
12: BRENTFORD GOAL! The home side take a deserved lead as Lewis-Potter finishes off a nice assist from club-record signing Sangare.
17: OFF THE BAR BUT OFFSIDE! Thiago nods against the crossbar, but Collins was offside in the build-up as the home side continue to dominate.
33: BRENTFORD GOAL! Richarlison and Bergvall both lose the ball, allowing Jensen to strike at goal, with his effort poorly parried out by Kinsky for Janelt to rebound home.
HALF TIME! Spurs fail to have a shot on target in a dreadful first half as Fernandes and Bentancur come on for Gallagher and Bergvall.
49: BRENTFORD GOAL! Kayode slams in Brentford's third from close range on the rebound after Sangare's sharp shot is saved.
55: THIAGO MISSES PENALTY! Bentancur fouls Schade for a penalty, but Thiago misses as he hits the post.
De Zerbi and Gray admit lack of fight in loss
Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi speaking to Sky Sports:
"We suffered physically, but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels; we made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore on the left centre-back.
"We arrived late too many times, but then we lost too many duels to compete with Brentford. I'm sorry for that; I'm sorry for the defeat.
"I know we have to improve in the physical condition; we have to improve in the organisation because there were many new players. But it's the first game; it's part of our journey.
"We knew before the game that with a lot of new players, to become a team we need two things: soul and style of play. Today I think there was the soul, but in the end we didn't fight in the right way for the difference of the duels. Brentford is one of the most important teams in the Premier League in terms of duels, but a fair game.
"I believe in my players. It was a game, especially in the first half in one direction; we were in the right position with high pressure - I said with Mikey Moore. If you analyse the game, you can see how many duels we lost in the first half. The direction of the game went towards Brentford."
Tottenham stand-in captain Archie Gray speaking to Sky Sports:
"It was simple really: we lost too many duels. They just outfought us all over the park. We need to watch it back: that's the main thing we need to do better.
"They just outfought us. For whatever reason, we weren't up for the fight as they were. That's on us. For the fans, they were incredible. For us to let them down like that on the first game, there are no words for it.
"I don't think there's any excuses. We will all look at ourselves in the mirror and say it wasn't good enough. We lost too many duels, that was the main part we lost."
Redknapp: Spurs looked a 'team of strangers'
Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp:
"You'd say they were a team of strangers; they didn't have that extra know-how of when (Jan Paul) Van Hecke and (Marcos) Senesi become a partnership.
"They never really won enough duels. I never really liked the look of the team when I saw the XI. I don't like (Conor) Gallagher in the 10; I wondered where the creativity was going to be.
"(Lucas) Bergvall, for whatever reason, has had a tough six or seven months. The managers who have come in haven't seemed to trust him. He lost the ball in the first few minutes and then a duel for the goal.
"The hope for Tottenham is that they won't be the same side in six weeks."
Your views...
Matt: "New season, new manager, new players... same old Spurs."
Jamie K: "We saw last season with Liverpool that spending hundreds of millions doesn't guarantee good results. At this point, maybe Spurs are just cursed to forever teeter on the brink until finally, they fall..."
Josh: "I've seen so many Spurs fans talk about top four this week after the transfer window they have had. Seventeenth-place finish in the last two seasons. Need to realise a great season this season is a top-half finish."
Dazza: "Same old Tottenham. No idea up front and weak in midfield and at the back? Lots of money spent, but as far as I can see, nothing has changed."
Stevep: "New season, same old Spurs. Another season of struggle unless the new signings bed in quick."
De Zerbi's 'dream' starts in nightmare fashion
Sky Sports' Peter Smith:
"Roberto De Zerbi spoke about creating a 'team I have in my dream' after securing Premier League survival at the end of last season.
"Well, the new season has started in nightmare fashion for Spurs. They were as bad as they were during that relegation dogfight last year.
"But Brentford were brilliant and deserve huge praise. Bees boss Keith Andrews is working wonders in west London, with new signing Sangare looking like a superstar in the making.
"Brentford bossed this match from start to finish."
