Ajer, Kristoffer 
Heung-min, Son 
The Ange Postecoglou era begins on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur face London rivals Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.
Key Takeaways
- Brentford finished one place and one point behind Tottenham last season
- Postecoglou will oversee his first competitive game as Spurs manager on Sunday
- The Bees are without suspended talisman Ivan Toney until January
Tottenham endured a 2022-23 campaign to forget, with Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason failing in their attempts to secure European football. Brentford, meanwhile, enjoyed plenty of success last season, although Ivan Toney’s lengthy ban will undoubtedly impact the team this year.
Brentford Form
Posting a record of 15 wins, 14 draws and nine losses, Brentford clinched a hugely impressive ninth-place finish last term. In fact, only Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United suffered fewer Premier League defeats than Thomas Frank’s side in 2022-23.
The Bees transformed the Gtech Community Stadium into a fortress last season, losing just two of their 19 home league games while treating their fans to memorable victories over the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
It is worth noting, however, that Brentford failed to win any of their five pre-season friendlies, losing to Premier League rivals Fulham and Brighton while drawing with Aston Villa, Lille and Boreham Wood.
Tottenham Hotspur Form
Believe it or not, Tottenham suffered five defeats more than Brentford last season, losing 14 of their 38 Premier League encounters. Although Spurs picked up three wins more than the Bees, the two sides were separated by a solitary point in the final standings.
The managerial merry-go-round was in full swing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last term, with Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason occupying the dugout. However, the summer arrival of Ange Postecoglou has brought fresh optimism.
Postecoglou guided Celtic to five trophies in two years, inspiring a famous treble last season. Of course, the Australian manager is unproven in the Premier League, but he shouldn’t struggle to improve Tottenham after last season’s struggles.
Head-to-Head
Brentford and Tottenham have faced each other four times since the Bees returned to the top flight in 2021. Spurs took five points from the first three meetings, but Brentford secured a 3-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in May.
Team News
Brentford will be without key striker Ivan Toney until January as the England international serves an eight-month suspension for breaching the FA’s betting rules. On top of that, Christian Norgaard is an injury doubt for Sunday’s clash.
Tottenham’s injury list contains Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), Bryan Gil (muscle), Ryan Sessegnon (thigh) and Alfie Whiteman (ankle), while Fraser Forster and Tanguy Ndombele are doubts for this weekend.
Spurs have signed James Maddison and Micky van de Ven this summer while making Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski’s loan deals permanent, but star man Harry Kane looks set to leave the club before the transfer window closes.
Key Players
With Toney on the sidelines, Bryan Mbeumo becomes Brentford’s main attacking threat. Mbeumo bagged nine goals and eight assists last season, while Yoane Wissa chipped in with seven goals and three assists.
As for Spurs, Postecoglou will look to get the best out of Son Heung-min, who endured a below-par 2022-23 campaign by his own high standards. Players like Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero will also be expected to kick on this year.
How to Watch on TV or Online
Fans in the UK can watch Sunday’s clash between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
Final Thoughts
Given that Brentford lost just two of their 19 home games in the Premier League last season, Frank’s side will be confident of spoiling Postecoglou’s first competitive match as Tottenham manager, although the Bees could struggle to claim all three points against a new-look Spurs outfit.
EFL Cup