Tottenham will be eager to put the FA Cup disappointment behind them and re-focus on their Premier League task as they take on Brentford.
Ange Postecoglou will want his Tottenham players to swiftly shift their focus on matters in the Premier League after their latest FA Cup disappointment when they take on Brentford. With the start of Spurs’ season, their supporters fully expected the team to end their long, drawn-out trophy drought, which now appears like a broken dream.
Spurs were ousted from the League Cup earlier, and now Nathan Ake’s 88th-minute strike condemned Postecoglou’s men to a defeat and subsequent elimination from the FA Cup. It was also the first time any Tottenham side allowed a Manchester City side to score in their new stadium.
Postecoglou will now want a concerted effort to fight for the title, with Spurs not far from the top three. Ideally, the Australian boss will want to target the title; they could well make a top-four finish their absolute objective, with everything else a bonus.
Tottenham host Brentford, with Thomas Frank also hoping for an upturn in form following the triumphant return of star striker Ivan Toney. The forward’s return also proved crucial, as the Bees ended a five-game losing streak to win three vital points against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
Toney’s free-kick strike was scrutinised as the striker moved the ball from its original position behind the referee’s back. Despite Nottingham Forest lodging a formal complaint, VAR insisted they could not intervene in those matters.
Frank will hope all those noises are behind them as he takes his side to North London, as Brentford has had a decent record against them recently. Last time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Bees ran out 3-1 winners and will hope for a repeat performance this time around.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs fans were eager to hear from the manager about the potential availability of Pape Matar Sarr following Senegal’s exit from the AFCON. However, Ange Postecoglou confirmed the midfielder will miss the Brentford clash as he only arrives on the day of the game.
There were more updates from Postecoglou on other injured stars, and it was confirmed that Manor Solomon had suffered a setback in his recovery. He will stay sidelined alongside Giovani Lo Celso and Alejo Veliz.
Son Heung-min and Yves Bissouma are the others who are out of contention as they continue their continental journeys with their respective national sides. Postecoglou could have James Maddison from the start against Brentford, as the England international will join Dejan Kulusevski and Timo Werner in the Tottenham attack.
Richarlison will continue to lead the line in Son’s absence, although Postecoglou might consider a re-shuffle once the South Korean returns. Otherwise, Spurs do not have much to report on the injury front, as Postecoglou will also resist the temptation to start new signing Radu Dragusin in his defence, as he could persist with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as his starting centre-back.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Hojbjerg, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Werner; Richarlison
Brentford
Thomas Frank must make do without several of his first-team stars, with key players like Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade and a few of his international stars unavailable. Yoane Wissa, Saman Ghoddos, and Frank Onyeka are representing their countries at the AFCON and the AFC Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry are absent for the long term. New Brentford signing Sergio Reguilon cannot take the field on Wednesday as he is ineligible to play against his parent club. Hence, Frank will continue with a back three to thwart Tottenham’s attack, while Keane Lewis-Potter will start at left wing-back.
On the positive side, Christian Norgaard is available again, as confirmed by Frank. The experienced midfielder could slot into his regular midfield role and take up the place of Vitaly Janelt. Ivan Toney is clear to lead the line and will hope to score in his second Premier League game in a row. He will have Neal Maupay as his strike partner in a two-prone attacking setup.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Flekken; Collins, Pinnock, Ben Mee; Roerslev, Damsgaard, Norgaard, Jensen, Lewis-Potter; Toney, Maupay
Key Stats
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have scored in each of their last 33 games in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have lost just once in their last nine clashes against Brentford in the Premier League.
- Brentford have won only once in their last eight games across all competitions.
- Brentford are undefeated against Tottenham in their last four league games.
Player to Watch
James Maddison
For the first time since November, James Maddison is on the pitch for Tottenham Hotspur.
The main man is back. 🍽#TOTMCI pic.twitter.com/NQtoEi55s9
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) January 26, 2024
The England international midfielder only recently returned to action after more than two months out, but he may take some time to adapt to the pace. Ange Postecoglou must have been the happiest to see his No.10 return, but will now want him to start contributing like he did earlier in the season.
Spurs still have a chance to compete for the top prize. But they must maintain a solid run of results and form going forward. Tottenham will get stronger when all their players are back, but Maddison must start playing a crucial role in turning results towards Spurs and getting his team going in the context of the title race.
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 Brentford
Brentford might have won at this venue during their most recent visit, but they are now set to face a different Tottenham side under Ange Postecoglou. Spurs will undoubtedly have an edge on home territory, and the manager would want to make it count.
The Bees, certainly boosted by Ivan Toney and Christian Norgaard’s returns, are still lacking in the attacking third owing to the absence of some other key stars like Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. While Brentford can always spring up a surprise against Tottenham, the prediction points towards Postecoglou’s side taking all three points.
