Tottenham began the new season with a heavy 3-0 defeat by Brentford, renewing memories of the struggles that saw the club finish 17th in the Premier League in each of the past two campaigns.
The scoreline could have been even worse for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. Brentford were awarded a penalty after a foul by Rodrigo Bentancur, but Igor Thiago failed to convert, meaning Tottenham effectively conceded three goals rather than four.
It is far too early to draw firm conclusions about another difficult season, but the performance at Brentford Community Stadium immediately revived concerns that Tottenham could once again find themselves fighting near the bottom of the table – or even heading towards the Championship.
The online publication Euro-Football.Ru assessed three Tottenham players after the match, although almost every member of De Zerbi’s squad could have been included in the anti-rating. Players were marked out of 10, with each starting the match on a score of 6.0.
Lucas Bergvall – 3.0
Bergvall endured a particularly poor afternoon and appeared unable to make a positive impression with Graham Potter watching from the stands. The Sweden midfielder seemed keen to demonstrate his ability in front of the national team head coach, but his performance had the opposite effect.
He held on to the ball for too long and repeatedly relied on dribbling, which failed to produce the desired result. In the fourth minute, Bergvall lost possession in front of his own penalty area, allowing Brentford to build an attack that ended with a cross and an opportunity for Collins.
His most damaging mistake came late in the second half, when another turnover helped create Brentford’s second goal-scoring attack. Bergvall offered virtually nothing in the attacking phase and was replaced at half-time.
Archie Gray – 3.0
Gray was unable to create a single dangerous attacking moment from the right side. He also found himself up against Keane Lewis-Potter, who was one of the best players on the pitch and arguably the outstanding performer in the match.
Tottenham occasionally needed the more experienced Robertson to move across from the opposite flank and provide cover for Gray. The youngster was also poorly positioned at a corner shortly before Brentford scored their third goal, failing to track Collins.
That lapse added to a difficult display in which Gray struggled both to influence Tottenham’s attacking play and to deal with Brentford’s threat down his side.
Antonin Kinsky – 3.0
Kinsky improved his saves statistic only after Tottenham had already conceded all of their goals. The goalkeeper finished with five saves, but that figure did little to disguise Brentford’s superiority.
The numbers would have looked even worse had Igor Thiago placed his penalty into the unguarded corner. Brentford’s opening goal gave Kinsky no realistic chance, with the hosts able to finish from close range after a clear opening.
The second goal, however, was partly attributable to the Tottenham goalkeeper. Kinsky stopped the initial effort but pushed the ball back into a dangerous area, allowing Brentford to continue the attack.
There was more debate over the third. Kinsky again parried the first shot, although the strike was powerful and the responsibility could be considered evenly shared. Even so, the three-goal defeat left Tottenham with plenty to address after a performance that brought back unwanted memories of their recent Premier League finishes.
