Tottenham Hotspur will return to Premier League action on Monday when they travel to Brentford in a London derby.
With Manchester United breathing down their neck, Tottenham Hotspur need to get going again, and they could build their momentum with a victory against Brentford on Boxing Day.
The north Londoners have had their fair share of problems. But that has not deterred Tottenham from capturing a place in the top four. However, they cannot afford any more slip-ups as they are just three points ahead of fifth-placed United.
Spurs survived a scare against Leeds United as they came from behind to secure a very important victory before the World Cup halted the season. Several Tottenham players were involved in the World Cup. So Antonio Conte would have to chalk his plan without most of them.
Meanwhile, Brentford set the record straight with a massive win over Manchester City in their last game. And the Bees will be hoping for a similar outcome when they face the North London side.
Thomas Frank’s men have shed their minnows tag for the time being, and if they maintain this course, they can easily fancy a spot in the top half of the table at the end of the season. The Brentford manager can celebrate his new contract with a win over Tottenham.
They are yet to beat Spurs since March 1948. Perhaps the time has come to roll out the years with a good display. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between Brentford and Tottenham.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
💬 Christian Nørgaard
"It is good that he got his World Cup minutes. He is coming back and looking good. He gives so much to the team with his character, personality and leadership. He is in a good place"#BrentfordFC | #BRETOT pic.twitter.com/CWPZDz9kJ2
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 23, 2022
Pontus Jansson has not been involved in action for the last couple of months. But the Brentford captain will finally be available for the Bees when Tottenham come visiting. Aaron Hickey, Thomas Strakosha and Kristoffer Ajer will not be available for this clash.
Ivan Toney missed out on a World Cup berth as Gareth Southgate preferred Callum Wilson over him. The English international answered in style by scoring a brace against reigning champions Manchester City. And he will be back on his favourite hunting ground. But betting allegations have plagued the Englishman lately.
David Raya will keep his place between the sticks. Jansson could have a smooth transition by slotting into the starting lineup. And the Brentford captain will lead the backline alongside Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock against Tottenham.
Mads Roerslev Rasmussen and Rico Henry will appear as the two wing-backs. The duo will flank Frank Onyeka, Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen, who will try to overrun Spurs’ midfield with their tenacity and physicality in the middle of the pitch. Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney will form the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Raya; Jansson, Mee, Pinnock; Rasmussen, Jensen Onyeka, Janelt, Henry; Toney, Mbuemo
Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio has a few key first-team players unavailable ahead of the trip to the Brentford Community Stadium. Hugo Lloris and Cristian Romero participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final a few days ago and will need a few more days of rest before getting back into the groove.
Fraser Forster will be in the goal for the North Londoners. Wales did not make it past the group stage, and Ben Davies has had a long time to recover from his World Cup excursions. He will also have assistance from Eric Dier and Clement Lenglet.
🎙 “We have to pay great attention”
Antonio Conte addressed the media ahead of our Boxing Day trip to Brentford ⤵️
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 23, 2022
Ivan Perisic led Croatia to a third-placed finish, and he might need a couple of more days to get back in shape. So Ryan Sessegnon will have another chance to showcase his talent on the left side, while Emerson Royal will be stationed on the right flank.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Yves Bissouma will be manning the midfield. Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min should take to the final third and aid Harry Kane from the flanks in building the attack.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Forster; Lenglet, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
Key Stats
- Brentford are winless in their last 13 meetings with Tottenham in all competitions (D4 L9) since a 2-0 home win in the second tier in March 1948. Spurs have kept a clean sheet in their last five meetings with Brentford in all competitions (W3 D2), with Lloyd Owusu in a 1998 League Cup match the last Bees player to net against them.
- Tottenham have won just one of their last 15 away London derbies in the Premier League (D6 L8). Spurs are winless in their last nine (D3 L6) since a 1-0 win at Fulham in March 2021.
- Brentford have lost just two of their last 13 league Boxing Day games (W7 D4), though they did lose 2-0 at Brighton in the Premier League last season. On the other hand, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 15 league Boxing Day games (W12 D3) since a 2-0 loss at Portsmouth in 2003. In English league history (top four divisions). Only Aston Villa have ever had a longer run without defeat on 26th December (20 between 1890 and 1913)
- Brentford are looking to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since May following their 2-1 win over Manchester City before the World Cup break. The Bees have lost just once in seven home league games this term (W3 D3), going down 3-0 against Arsenal in September.
- No player has scored more Premier League goals on Boxing Day than Tottenham’s Harry Kane (9, level with Robbie Fowler), with the English striker scoring on all six of his appearances on this day.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
Harry Kane failed to emulate his club performance on the international stage as England crashed out of the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The England skipper has been in fine form. And if Tottenham need to fire, they will want the 29-year-old to break his duck against Brentford.
Kane is on the cusp of making history in Boxing Day games. And he will look to find the back of the net for the tenth time in a game on December 26. It will be interesting to see if he rises to the occasion for Tottenham against Brentford.
Will it be 1️⃣0️⃣ for @SpursOfficial's number 1️⃣0️⃣? pic.twitter.com/aRkBirqe2K
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 19, 2022
Prediction
Brentford 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
The World Cup break is bound to break the momentum, and it remains to be seen how the two clubs cope with these peculiar circumstances. Spurs do have a stronger squad on paper, and they will have an edge going into this fixture. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Antonio Conte & co.
