Tottenham vs Brentford Preview
Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur will host 14th-placed Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on February 1.
Spurs enter this contest on the back of a decent run of form. Prior to their poor results against the Manchester sides, Ange Postecoglou’s men recorded five wins in six games. In that time, they scored 14 goals and conceded seven in a rather mixed set of displays. However, a 2-2 draw against United in the league followed by a 1-0 defeat against City in the FA Cup has slightly derailed their season. The team will look to bounce back with a strong showing against their next opponents.
Brentford, on the other hand, celebrated Ivan Toney’s return from suspension in style. He bagged a well-taken free-kick in the Bees’ 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest to send the home crowd into raptures in their last game. However, Thomas Frank’s side were in a spot of bother before their talisman returned. Prior to their win, they had failed to register a win across seven games, losing six times and drawing once. The Bees will look to bring the buzz back to their squad with a strong performance.
On that note, let’s take a look at the team news for both sides.
Team News & Probable Lineups
Tottenham
Postecoglou still has some injury concerns in his squad with several players out. Midfielders Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon remain sidelined with muscle problems. Defender Ben Davies will miss out due to a hamstring issue, while attackers Manor Solomon and Alejo Veliz remain sidelined due to knee injuries.
Spurs will also be without Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal), Yves Bissouma (Mali) and Heung-min Son (South Korea) as the trio represent their respective nations.
The manager will likely stick to the team he fielded against City in the FA Cup.
Probable XI: Guglielmo Vicario (GK), Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero (C), Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner, Richarlison.
Brentford
Much like their opponents, Brentford too will be without multiple players. Defenders Rico Henry (knee) and Aaron Hickey (hamstring) remain sidelined since last year. Defensive midfidler Christian Norgaard (foot) will also miss out, while forward Bryan Mbeumo (ankle) is a doubt for the game.
Meanwhile, Saman Ghoddos (Iran), Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Frank Onyeka (Nigeria) will miss out due to national team duties.
Manager Thomas Frank will likely stick with the XI he fielded against Forest in the last game.
Probable XI: Mark Flekken (GK), Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee, Mads Roerslev, Mikkel Damsgaard, Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen, Keane Lewis-Potter, Neal Maupay, Ivan Toney (C).
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Tottenham vs Brentford Head-to-Head & Prediction
Last 5 Games H2H (PL)
- Brentford 2-2 Tottenham (08/23)
- Tottenham 1-3 Brentford (05/23)
- Brentford 2-2 Tottenham (12/22)
- Brentford 0-0 Tottenham (04/22)
- Tottenham 2-0 Brentford (12/21)
As you can see, both Tottenham and Brentford have won one game apiece, with the teams playing out three draws in the remaining games.
However, the last three games have all been high-scoring affairs, with at least four goals scored in each of those. This could be the case once again as two relatively thin but determined squads lock horns.
This game could end up in a draw as well, considering there is little to separate the two teams.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Brentford.
Betting Tips
- Brentford Win/Draw: Double Chance.
- Both Teams to Score: Yes.
- Ivan Toney: Anytime Goalscorer.
Odds
- Tottenham Win: 1.66
- Draw: 4.60
- Brentford Win: 5.40
Top Players to Watch
Tottenham
In top scorer Heung-min Son’s absence, Brazilian forward Richarlison has stepped up and performed well in recent weeks. He has a total of 10 goal contributions in the PL this season and will be eager to add to that tally in the coming weeks.
The 26-year-old has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 21 games across competitions this season. Five of those goals came in December alone, with Richarlison also netting in Spurs’ last league game against Manchester United. He will look to add to his tally next time around as well.
Brentford
Having returned from suspension just a few days back, Ivan Toney will be in the spotlight once again. The talismanic striker has been one of the top players in the league since Brentford were promoted two seasons back.
So far, Toney has played in 67 Premier League games for Brentford. During that time, he has scored 33 goals and provided nine assists. Last season, he bagged 20 goals and although it is unlikely this time, he will look to finish strong.
Tottenham vs Brentford Timings & Telecast
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 1st 1:00 AM (IST).
- India: Star Sports Network, Hotstar app & website.
- UK: Sky Sports.
- US: Peacock Premium.
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