Spurs won and we actually played well?
FINALLY a return to winning ways for Spurs and Simons opens his scoring account.
A Change of Fortune?
Tuesday's fixture against Newcastle was not short of drama and despite the usual poor offensive performance, Thomas Frank's men showed some fight and earned a late point.
Brentford is usually a fairly comfortable 3 points for Spurs, with them even securing 6 points against them last season. Obviously Frank was meeting his former club and both sides were sat in a similar position in the table and a Spurs defeat would've sent the visitors above them.
The starting 11 has been a major talking point every game for Spurs fans, with it being apparent that Frank doesn't seem to know his best team. It was no different today as Udogie was ruled out of the game for injury AGAIN, despite fans being told he would be fit just a couple of days ago. Xavi Simon's saw a return to the starting 11 and Archie Gray partnered the familiar Bentancur in the middle. I was personally pretty satisfied with the squad and for once in a long time was pretty confident we could get the job done, even being at home!
The Bees Were Stung
From the off it was an optimistic display. What a difference it can make when midfielders play the ball forward and wingers make direct runs. Kolo Muani and Kudus played really well out wide, being direct against their defenders and showing physicality to keep the ball. A goal was well deserved from the early pressure and soon enough, a long ball forward was met beautifully by Simons, putting it on a plate for Richarlison to open the scoring.
It seemed weird celebrating Richarlison's goal, because he so often scores when we are already behind by two goals. More importantly that anything, we had a first half where we not only scored, but just had a shot on target! What a ridiculous thing to be celebrating
Simons' excellent first half continued and it just seemed inevitable that he would score when he picked the ball up on the halfway line and drove through the Brentford defence before slotting past Kelleher. That was a long time coming.
Xavi Simons first half vs. Brentford by numbers:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 6, 2025
92% pass accuracy
37 total touches
3 touches in the box
3 passes into the final third
3 ball recoveries
3 shots
1 big chance created
1 assist
1 goal
Breakout performance. ⚽️🅰️ pic.twitter.com/rRhc1IgZ91
The second half definitely was a similar affair; Spurs dominance and Brentford ultimately not giving the hosts a real scare. It was really refreshing to see a comfortable victory at home and even if we didn't score in the second half it really felt like the job was already done. The back four seemed so much more confident, with Spence performing really well when getting forward, which is something he can often be criticised for.
I was also really impressed with Richarlison, who not only scored, but seemed comfortable on the ball and as always was willing to slow the game down by drawing in fouls. I wasn't surprised to see Kudus brought off as a substitute as he worked so hard and really deserved. I assume he'll start on Tuesday against Slavia Prague but with Frank's team selection, you never know.
Changing Tide?
Saturday's game was not only a confident attacking performance, but one that showed incredible defensive work rate when needing to track back. Perhaps it was time that Frank gave our players a real shake and told them to show some fight. Its no secret that Frank's pressure was growing in the lead up to this game and by no means is it off because Brentford really offered nothing for Spurs to worry about.
Another Champions League fixture awaits, with this one important in proving whether the players and coach are willing to show some passion for the badge. Although it may be overshadowed by Sonny's return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a win is needed and I'm hoping that Saturday's game was a push in the right direction for Thomas Frank and the rest of the squad. I look forward to seeing some more Xavi Simons minutes and whether he will build on an excellent performance.
Can I shock you? I enjoyed watching Tottenham Hotspur play football today!
— Talking THFC (@TalkingTHFC) December 6, 2025
The intensity and urgency significantly better. Excellent team performance and delighted to see Xavi shine. Who knew? Play good players = see good football. Up the Spurs ✨️ pic.twitter.com/ccvz1TtB2u
COYS!
