A London derby concludes the opening Saturday of Premier League action this season as Tottenham make the short trip from north to west to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Despite successive 17th-place finishes and only escaping relegation on the final day in May, expectations are high at Spurs as their big-spending summer transfer window continues, with £100m signing Sandro Tonali expected to headline a flurry of competitive debuts.
Team news and absentees
However, familiar issues persist as Roberto De Zerbi begins his first full campaign in charge, with a number of key players absent today. That number includes injured new captain Micky van de Ven and World Cup winner Pedro Porro, while Savinho has not signed in time to feature as Spurs also push to land Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush.
Brentford should provide a stern first test for Tottenham’s new era, having impressed under Keith Andrews last term and only missed out on last-gasp European qualification on goal difference.
Brentford’s new signing
The Bees will hand a top-flight debut to club-record signing Mamadou Sangare, whom they hope will provide the perfect counter to Spurs’ new-look midfield.
Kick-off at the Gtech is at 5.30pm, with expert analysis from Standard Sport’s Sam Tabuteau at the stadium.
