Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur starting XI:

Antonin Kinsky: Bad day for Spurs' new first-choice goalkeeper. Was at fault when he pushed out Jensen's shot for Janelt's goal. Distribution wayward. 5

Archie Gray: The youngest captain in Spurs history but not a day for celebration. Played as an emergency right-back and looked like, well, an emergency right-back. 5

Marcos Senesi: Struggled to cope with the physical presence of Igor Thiago and the movement of those around Brentford's Brazilian striker. 5

Jan Paul van Hecke: For Senesi read Van Hecke. Never comfortable in a shambolic Spurs defence. 5

Andrew Robertson: Tough debut for the veteran left-back, Struggled to cope with Brentford's pace and movement on the right flank. 5

Conor Gallagher: Took a couple of heavy early knocks and had a wild shot off target. Booked for trip on Sangare and no surprise when he was replaced at half-time. 4

Lucas Bergvall: Too many wasted passes and gave away possession poorly for Brentford's second goal. 4

Sandro Tonali: Desperately poor debut for Spurs' £100m signing. Ironic cheers for one first-half effort and did not exert any serious influence on the game. 4

Mikey Moore: The youngster was isolated on the right flank and had little support. but at least looked dangerous and gave Kelleher some work to do. 6

Richarlison: Ineffective. Lost heart as the game went on. 4

Mathys Tel: Early clever flick hinted at a threat, but was then anonymous. 4

Tottenham Hotspur substitutes:

Mateus Fernandes (on 45, Gallagher): Anonymous on debut. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur (on 45, Bergvall): Gave away a penalty. Poor. 5

James Maddison (on 68, Moore): No time make an impact. 5

Dominic Solanke (on 68, Richarlison): Game was over when he came on. 5

Destiny Udogie (on 86, Gray)

Subs not used: Dubravka, Danso, Davies, Williams-Barnett.

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Bad game. We lost and suffered the difference in the duels. It was the key of this game. We didn't fight in the right way. Maybe credit to them because it's the best quality Brentford have.

"Our physical condition was not at the right level for all players because many came later after the World Cup and there were many new players in the squad and first XI. But we have to analyse this game better because we can't play this way in this type of game.

"I am surprised by the result and performance. I knew we were not in the right condition. We can't find an excuse. I am sorry for the result and performance. We are starting a new project and we couldn't find the principal.

"Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali are not in the best physical condition. We knew that before the game. We have to improve on that and many other things, like organisation and pressing.

"We can improve quickly but first, we have to understand this game better. I know their physical condition and new players but we have to put something more. We had to fight more. Players know I have a lot of confidence in them and we hope to improve quickly."

On more signings: "I don't want the excuse that the first XI was not enough to compete and get a result. Brentford's spirit on the pitch was great, it has to be the right example for us."

Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray, speaking to Sky Sports: "For some reason on days in football, a team can outfight another team, it's on us and the fans have been incredible."

On fitness in the starting line-up: "I don't think there's any excuses to be honest."

On hangover from last season: "We've got work to do, you saw that performance. It's definitely an improvement from last season. It's not the start we wanted, going into the mid-week game on Wednesday."

On looking ahead for the rest of the season: "The work we do in the week is about moving in the right direction but today we got out-fought."

On becoming Tottenham's youngest-ever Premier League starting captain: "It was an amazing moment and I'm grateful for the manager for trusting me but again, today wasn't good enough."

Did you know?

• Tottenham Hotspur suffered their joint-heaviest defeat on MD1 of a Premier League season, having also lost 3-0 to Manchester United in 2011-12.

• Against Brentford, Archie Gray (20y 163d) became the youngest player to start a Premier League match for Tottenham Hotspur as captain, overtaking Harry Kane v Burnley in April 2015 (21y 251d).

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham failed to win a single game after falling behind last season and once again they crumbled after Keane Lewis-Potter gave the Bees an early lead.

This was supposed to be the start of a new era for Spurs after back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.

Instead this was as bad as anything they served up last season as familiar failings were very much evident despite the new faces on show.

It was far too easy for Brentford at times, with Lewis-Potter left unmarked to score the first, Richarlison conceding possession before the second goal and the Spurs defence all over the place when Michael Kayode made it 3-0.

Tottenham are in talks to sign Manchester City forward duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Yet it is in defence where Spurs look in urgent need of reinforcements.

Skipper Micky van de Ven, who is injured, watched this horror show unfold from the bench as 20-year-old Archie Gray became the youngest player to captain the club.

But this was a day to forget for Tottenham and Gray, who was replaced in the closing stages and handed the armband to substitute James Maddison, who hardly played last season because of injury.

By then, many of Tottenham's travelling support had left the ground as Brentford fans teased their opponents by singing: "You're going down with the Fulham."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Hull City v Man Utd (12:30)

• Everton v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds

• Brentford v Tottenham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

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There is a lot of excitement surrounding Tottenham and I understand why.

Sandro Tonali is an excellent signing for them in midfield while, at the back, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke are both very good defenders and Micky van de Ven has penned a new deal too.

I am really looking forward to seeing Spurs under Roberto de Zerbi and the expectation will be that they do well. Without European football, they must be thinking about the top six.

Keith Andrews had a sensational first season as Brentford manager and it will be interesting to see how they set up - will it be a case of 'counter-attack Keith' again?

The way I see this game going, Spurs will have most of the ball but Brentford are well organised and very dangerous on the break.

Igor Thiago had an incredible campaign for the Bees last time and they have got Kevin Schade too, so I don't see them struggling for goals.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

It has been a long road back for James Maddison, but after missing the majority of the 2025-26 campaign, the Spurs midfielder is ready to return to full-time action on the field.

Maddison said he was going through a "traumatic experience" during his rehabilitation, but the "positive distraction" of his partner being pregnant helped him during his "toughest year of his life".

The 29-year-old, who is now a father of five children, told Kelly Somers about the day-to-day tasks of being a professional footballer and a dad.

"A lot of nappies flying about, a lot of accidents at home, but it'll all be worth it. We still love it. I wouldn't change it for the world," he said.

As well as changing Spurs' fortunes on the pitch, Maddison remarked how Roberto de Zerbi organised a team social to help bond the group together.

Maddison explained: "We're all going to be drinking alcohol, we're all going to be having a good night.

"He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax. That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away."

Although De Zerbi told Maddison he could sit on the bench last season in his "slippers", the Italian will now have the England international in the team ready to make an impact from the first whistle.

The Football Interview will be available on BBC One at 12:45 every Saturday during the Premier League season, as well as on BBC iPlayer, BBC Football YouTube and the BBC Sport website and app.

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

After a traumatic season in which they narrowly avoided relegation, Tottenham look to start 2026-27 in better fashion against a Brentford side that are looking to build on an excellent campaign under Keith Andrews. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into their opening-weekend encounter.

After back-to-back 17th place finishes, surely the only way is up for Tottenham, especially after the club loosened their purse strings in spectacular fashion this summer.

After the farce of missing out on top transfer targets Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze last summer, they've made no mistake this time round. Having signed Mateus Fernandes for a club record £85m, they smashed it again just days later with the eyebrow raising £100m acquisition of Sandro Tonali.

Throw in the arrival of Scotland skipper Andy Robertson, ball playing centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Marco Senesi, who played 20 minutes of the World Cup final for Argentina, and it's easy to see why optimism is high.

Attacking signings remain a work in progress but if the double swoop for Man City duo Omar Marmoush and Savinho can get over the line then the league woes of the last two campaigns will surely be confined to a distant but unpleasant memory.

The lowlights of a wretched campaign included going 15 matches and 118 days without a league victory, managing just three wins at home and having to avoid relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977 on the final day of the season.

All of which is not good enough for what is the world's ninth-richest football club.

The arrival of boss Roberto de Zerbi has been galvanizing and he accounted for 30% of the club's league wins last season despite only being in charge for seven matches.

In a huge contrast to Tottenham's travails, Brentford enjoyed a superb season under Keith Andrews.

Tipped by many to be relegation candidates, they revelled in confounding the doubters. They just missed out on European qualification for the first ever time by a mere point after their season petered out with just one win in their last 10 league matches.

Central to replicating their success will be getting Igor Tudor to fire again in front of goal. Only Erling Haaland scored more than his 22 top-flight goals last season which helped him secure a place in Brazil's World Cup squad.

The striker boasted the best shot conversion rate of any player to take 25 or more shots in the Premier League last season with 22 goals from 84 shots.

While the Bees haven't created a lot of headlines in this summer's transfer window they've still made some interesting signings while also not losing any of their big names.

Their record against opponents Tottenham is poor having won just one of their 10 Premier League matches against the north Londoners, and Spurs are unbeaten in their five trips to the Gtech Community Stadium.

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Mateus Fernandes are all fit enough to be in the squad for Spurs. However, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Pape Matar Sarr will miss the game because of injury.

• De Zerbi has named Van de Ven as his new captain for the 2026-27 campaign, and also listed Porro, Ben Davies, Maddison and Archie Gray as replacement skippers.

• The Italian said it was "not right to speak about players until they are official" when asked about Tottenham's links to Manchester City'sSavinho.

• De Zerbi confirmed he and the board are "working very well" in the closing stages of the transfer window, during which six players have joined so far.

• He explained: "We have spoken a lot of times in the summer. It is a connection. It is the connection between the people inside the club and I think we are closing out the first target we ever had in our plan."

• De Zerbi said Spurs "can't forget what happened" last season and that it was a "big lesson" for his side. "We're building a new project. The first target is very clear: to find the soul of the team. The second target is to improve in our organisation with and without the ball. Our style has to be the key to our season."

Listen to the Spurs' opening game of the season against Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

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Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Omar Marmoush is primarily a number nine, but he has rarely been confined to one role across the front line.

At Frankfurt, he was used predominantly through the middle but also appeared as a second striker and from the left. Manchester City have followed a similar pattern, using him mainly as a central attacker while also deploying him from the flank and just behind another forward.

That flexibility could suit Roberto de Zerbi. His teams have often relied on forwards changing positions, dropping towards the ball and then attacking the space created when opponents are drawn out. Marmoush is comfortable doing both.

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha sees the Egyptian as most dangerous when he is able to threaten the space beyond the defence.

"As much as he is good dropping towards the ball, I think he is better when he plays on the shoulder," he said.

"He needs to be in a team that will constantly play balls in behind and force the opposition to run back towards their own goal. That's when you see a better version of Marmoush."

Opta's Premier League numbers from last season show he averaged 11.46 runs in behind per 90 minutes, almost identical to Dominic Solanke's 11.61 and ahead of Richarlison's 10.03. But he also offered considerably more with the ball.

Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Savinho's output at Manchester City makes Tottenham's decision to invest heavily in him look curious at first glance.

The Brazilian, who last October signed a contract extension to 2031 at City, has made 84 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League, the winger has scored just twice over his two seasons at the Etihad.

But those numbers tell only part of the story of a player who joined City from sister club Troyes for £30.8m in 2024.

Savinho's reputation was built during a breakout 2023-24 campaign with Girona, where he was on loan from Troyes, when he became one of La Liga's most dangerous ball carriers.

He featured in 37 league matches as Girona secured Champions League qualification for the first time, registering nine goals and eight assists across his various attacking roles.

Savinho also led La Liga for:

Successful take-ons (104)

Progressive carries (181)

Goal-creating actions (25)

Expected assists (9.9)

He also ranked second for passes into the penalty area and progressive carrying distance.

Most of his best work came from the left. Girona used him there in 27 matches, during which he scored five goals and supplied six assists, although he also featured centrally and from the right.

That versatility and directness could suit De Zerbi's approach. His teams often try to draw opponents forward in possession before exploiting the space that opens up, creating one-against-one situations for wide players.

Savinho's acceleration and willingness to take defenders on make him well suited to those moments. From the left he can hold the width and attack the outside, while from the right he can move inside on to his stronger left foot and combine with team-mates.

At Girona, much of his threat came from carrying the ball over distance and disrupting defensive shape, which could give Spurs a more direct route through compact defences and create openings for central forwards.

Tottenham are therefore investing in the qualities Savinho showed so clearly at Girona: pace, ball carrying, one-against-one ability and chance creation from wide areas.

At 22, those attributes help explain why Spurs are prepared to pay a huge sum despite his modest scoring return in Manchester.

Having spent a combined £185m on midfielders Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi has been looking to strengthen his side's attack.

Sources are telling us that talks for Savinho's Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush are progressing positively.

The Egypt forward, a £59m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, fell down the pecking order at City last season.

Spurs also remain interested in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but it is unclear whether they could finance a deal for the Netherlands attacker as well as moves for Marmoush and Savinho.

• Read about Spurs agreeing deal for Savinho