A summer of positivity, a pre-season without defeat, all erased within just 49 minutes of the new Premier League campaign for Tottenham Hotspur.
Let’s face it, this was men-against-boys stuff, with Brentford having been rampant right from the off, overpowering Roberto De Zerbi‘s men in every department.
The 3-0 scoreline certainly didn’t flatter the Bees, not least considering Igor Thiago also struck his spot-kick onto the post, with the north Londoners perhaps somewhat relieved that further damage wasn’t done in the closing stages.
There are caveats, of course, amid a string of absentees and with transfers still to be completed, but alarm bells might already be ringing following the chaos of last season.
How it all went wrong for Spurs at the Gtech
From back to front, the Lilywhites were beaten to the punch, outrun and outfought as they simply couldn’t contain their relentless hosts.
Indeed, there was a sense of irony in Spurs having spent £185m on a new midfield, yet the game’s standout figure in that position was Brentford’s Mamadou Sangare, the former Lens star providing the assist for the opener.
Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes did at least link up after the break, with the Portuguese looking particularly sharp, yet the damage had been done beforehand, with Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall hooked at half-time.
As for the backline, the previously resurgent Antonin Kinsky looked a little shaky in the sticks, while an experienced centre-back pairing of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi were no match for the likes of Thiago.
There will at least be solutions soon enough in that department, amid the expected return of Micky van de Ven and leading right-back Pedro Porro, but the echoes of 2025/26 still linger, it would seem.
The same was also true on the flanks, with De Zerbi’s rather makeshift forward line getting little joy out of the Bees’ defence, the best opportunities falling to young Mikey Moore at the back post, a player who looks all but certain to leave on loan before the deadline.
Such a display only heightened the need for new arrivals, and with Savinho and Omar Marmoush likely to be next in the door, there should well be those heading in the opposite direction too.
Why Spurs need to be ruthless before the window closes
He may have missed his chance to score from the spot, yet it was hard not to be impressed by Thiago’s performance, the 25-year-old regularly seen dropping deep to aid his midfield unit.
The former Club Brugge star, who scored 22 league goals last season, is simply such a handful, a player who occupies defenders, be it with his physical frame or ability to spin in behind.
While starved of service, the contrast to his compatriot, Richarlison, couldn’t have been more stark, with Spurs’ enigmatic Brazilian looking rather anonymous in his number nine berth.
The 29-year-old did end 2025/26 as Spurs’ top scorer with 11 league goals, while also popping up with two goals in pre-season, including the winner against Chelsea.
And yet, De Zerbi had still hinted that the £60m signing was flip-flopping on his future, with Football FanCast exclusively reporting earlier this summer that Richarlison was among those likely to be sold.
With just a year to run on his deal, and with Marmoush seemingly inbound, now does appear to be the prime time for the former Everton man to move on, with Saturday’s performance a mere reminder of why he isn’t up to scratch.
27 league goals in four seasons says it all, in truth, with his place in the side at the Gtech having only been guaranteed by the injury woes of Dominic Solanke.
For all the frustration regarding the Englishman’s repeated stints on the sidelines, he is still a class above Richarlison, the latter having been so ineffective against Keith Andrews’ men.
In 68 minutes on the pitch, he made just 21 touches, 36 fewer than Kinsky in the sticks, while also failing to register a single shot and losing the ball on five occasions.
|
Spurs Starting XI – Player Ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Rating |
|
GK – Kinsky |
5 |
|
RB – Gray |
5 |
|
CB – Van Hecke |
4 |
|
CB – Senesi |
4 |
|
LB – Robertson |
5 |
|
CM – Tonali |
4 |
|
CM – Bergvall |
3 |
|
CM – Gallagher |
3 |
|
RW – Moore |
4 |
|
LW – Tel |
5 |
|
ST – Richarlison |
3 |
Most damningly was the lack of impact he made out of possession, the typically industrious forward having been “bullied” by the Brentford backline, as per Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith.
He only won two of his ten duels, including none of his four aerial duels, with the ball simply not sticking with him when Spurs sought to gain a moment of respite.
There’s no denying that Richarlison, the cult figure he is, has had his moments, but it’s fair to say he’s served his purpose.
With Marmoush on his way, and Solanke now back in the frame, an expected exit should well be hastened sooner rather than later.
