Tottenham spent big but found out that money doesn’t guarantee success. They suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat against Brentford in their first Premier League match on Saturday.
Tottenham has spent over £200 million, which is about $272 million, to strengthen a team that barely avoided dropping to the Championship last season.
Roberto De Zerbi gave debuts to four new players: Sandro Tonali, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Jan Paul van Hecke. Mateus Fernandes came off the bench in the second half.
Brentford, built on a much lower budget, dominated the game in west London. They showed the weaknesses in Tottenham’s expensive plans.
Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt scored for Brentford in the first half. Michael Kayode added a third goal after the break.
Things could have been worse for Tottenham. Igor Thiago missed a penalty that could have made it 4-0 for Brentford.
Tottenham is still looking to spend more. Brazil winger Savinho is set to join from Manchester City.
Savinho’s teammate Omar Marmoush is also a target. These deals could push Tottenham’s spending over £300 million.
De Zerbi wants to find “the soul of the team.” He urged them to learn from last season’s poor 17th-place finish.
But he made a strange choice by making 20-year-old Archie Gray the youngest captain in Tottenham’s history. His team then played without heart or leadership.
This was only the second time in 11 seasons that Tottenham lost their opening match.
Brentford wasted no time showing they were not afraid of their big-spending opponents. Just 12 minutes in, Mamadou Sangare made a strong run through Tottenham’s weak midfield. He set up Lewis-Potter perfectly for a great finish.
Sangare, who joined Brentford for a club record £39 million from Lens, made a big impact.
Despite their spending, Tottenham lacked a dynamic player like Sangare. They struggled to break down Brentford’s solid defense.
Tottenham was slow with the ball and messy at the back. They conceded again in the 33rd minute.
Richarlison lost the ball too easily, and Lucas Bergvall's weak tackle on Mathias Jensen didn’t help. Jensen then took a powerful shot that Antonin Kinsky fumbled. Janelt was quick to score into an empty net.
Tonali, signed for £100 million from Newcastle, did not show his worth as he missed a clear chance.
De Zerbi brought on Fernandes, who joined from West Ham for £85 million, and Rodrigo Bentancur to change the midfield.
But these changes did not fix Tottenham's terrible defense. Brentford scored their third goal just four minutes into the second half.
Sangare powered home a shot after Nathan Collins headed the ball from a corner. Kinsky was hit in the face, and Kayode scored from close range as Tottenham's defenders stood still.
Thiago hit the post with a penalty in the 55th minute. This was awarded for Bentancur's push on Kevin Schade. But by then, the damage was already done for Tottenham.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇