Tottenham Hotspur vs Brentford: The Afterthought
Spurs fans were dreading a third consecutive loss on the bounce, as Brentford were the quickest out of the block. Still, all those fears were laid to rest once Dominic Solanke netted his first goal for the club; after that, there were a few uncomfortable moments, but Spurs were good value for their first league win in three. Let’s have a look at what clicked for Spurs and what’s still required to tighten the screw even further
Patience pays off with Solanke
It’s an age-old saying: You must be patient with a new signing. Let them settle in, and then see the magic. Granted, it was just Solanke’s first goal for Spurs, but he has looked decent in every game he has played for Spurs.
Solanke needs time to bed into Ange’s ideas and how he wants him to play. Solanke looked industrious throughout the game, which is unsurprising because that was one of the key reasons Spurs bought him. He will work his sock up top and then score a few goals. Spurs fans will hope this was just the first of many goals to come.
Midfield Vindicated
It was good to see Maddison getting involved in goals again. He has had a very tough start to his Spurs career. Having started brilliantly, the unfortunate injury derailed his momentum, which in turn derailed Spurs’ momentum because their main talisman from midfield was sidelined for a prolonged period.
Maddison will look to push on this season and improve his offensive numbers considerably from last season. He seemed very influential in the game, which is encouraging for the Spurs faithful.
The Minor Tremors
Spurs looked shaky at the back. Letting your opponents score within a minute of kicking off is not a good look. There were also times when Spurs lost the ball or coughed up possession around the box when they tried to play it out, and luckily, Brentford didn’t capitalize on those mistakes.
A few tweaks need to be made to achieve some consistency in performances. A lapse in concentration or judgment will cost Spurs big time in the long run. The season is long, so it is better to weed out these lapses and mistakes early.
High Press and Counter Attacks Worked
Ange Postecoglou’s USP worked well in this game. The high press conjured up a goal, and so did a smooth counter-attacking move. It looks so good when everything falls into place; while the performance wasn’t a 10/10, it was still encouraging to see Spurs being potent in front of the goal again.
Spurs, under Ange, will always create opportunities, but again, the question is about consistency. You have to wonder if Kulusevski is the long-term plan at no.10 or if Ange will change the personnel going forward. There are still a couple of unanswered questions, but as long as Spurs keep getting results, those questions can be put on a back burner.
So these were a few afterthoughts from the game. Let’s see if Spurs can put on a consistent run to prop up the table.