Tottenham Hotspur ended their home league win drought with a convincing 2-0 victory over Brentford, a result that provided some respite for under-fire manager Thomas Frank. The win was Spurs’ first in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the opening weekend of the season, and came courtesy of goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons.
Simons, who joined from RB Leipzig for £52m in the summer, was the standout performer. He assisted Richarlison’s opener in the 20th minute after being set up by Pedro Porro, and then scored his first goal for the club just before half-time, dispossessing Sepp van den Berg before firing into the bottom corner. The Dutchman’s performance was a marked improvement after struggling to adapt to the Premier League.
Thomas Frank made five changes from the draw at Newcastle, including starting Archie Gray in defensive midfield over João Palhinha. The decision paid off as Spurs were more proactive and controlled the first half, outplaying a Brentford side that has now lost seven of their eight away league games this season. Brentford’s only real chance came when Igor Thiago was denied by Guglielmo Vicario at 0-0.
The second half saw Spurs adopt a more conservative approach, but they rarely looked troubled. A moment of tension arose when Mohammed Kudus’s showboating nearly led to a Brentford goal, but otherwise the home side managed the game comfortably. Frank described the performance as clicking after hard work, noting the pace and tempo of the attack.
The win lifts Spurs to 12th in the table, while Brentford remain in 15th. For Frank, it was a crucial result as he continues to face scrutiny from Spurs supporters, but the performance suggests there may be signs of a turnaround.
