Brentford vs Tottenham | Premier League | Pre Match

Tottenham are looking to arrest an alarming run of form to alleviate the pressure on Ange Postecoglou when they make the short trip to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.

Postecoglou is a man under increasing scrutiny at Spurs, who have lost six of their past seven Premier League matches (D1), with no team amassing fewer points since this run started on 22 December. The alarming dip in form has led to growing speculation about the manager’s tactical approach and his ability to turn the tide. Spurs fans, once hopeful of a competitive season, are now voicing their concerns over the team’s inconsistency and defensive frailties.

You have to go back over 20 years for the last time Spurs lost five games in a row, a run of six in October and November 2004 – a streak that included three defeats each for Jacques Santini and Martin Jol. The club’s loyal supporters will be hoping history does not repeat itself, but recent performances have left little room for optimism. Tottenham’s inability to grind out results, coupled with their defensive lapses, has placed immense pressure on Postecoglou to find quick solutions.

No Spurs manager has lost five on the spin since Ossie Ardiles way back in 1994, with the Argentine overseeing seven straight defeats. The weight of history is not in Postecoglou’s favor, and he will be desperate to avoid joining an unfortunate list of managers who struggled to halt a downward spiral.

A win in the Europa League on Thursday provided some respite, though. Tottenham’s academy trio of Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett, and Damola Ajayi helped them overcome Elfsborg 3-0 to confirm their passage into the competition’s last 16. The result was a rare bright spot for Spurs, demonstrating the potential of their young talents and offering a glimpse of hope for the future. However, domestic form remains the priority, and translating European success into Premier League points is the ultimate challenge.

Results may have been underwhelming, but for the neutral, there’s been no shortage of excitement in matches under Postecoglou. His 61 top-flight games have seen an average of 3.6 goals per match—the highest goal ratio of any manager with 50 or more matches managed (120 goals for, 98 against). The fewest games required for a manager to both score and concede over 100 goals is 65, a record set by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi. This attacking philosophy has won admiration but has also exposed defensive vulnerabilities that have cost Spurs dearly.

While Tottenham have struggled as a collective, Dejan Kulusevski has been a bright note. No player has created more open-play chances than his 51 in the Premier League this season, while his average of 2.5 created per 90 minutes this term is bettered by only two Spurs players in a season on record (minimum 900 minutes) – Christian Eriksen in 2015-16 (2.6 per 90) and Aaron Lennon in 2010-11 (2.51 per 90). Kulusevski’s creativity has been a saving grace, yet the lack of clinical finishing from his teammates has stifled Spurs’ attacking effectiveness.

In a good omen for Spurs, Brentford’s previously strong home record has hit a rough patch, with the Bees now winless in their past four at the Gtech (D1, L3). They have now gone 13 matches without a home clean sheet, last having a longer league run between November 2003 and April 2004 (14). They are, however, the league’s leading scorers on home soil with 29 and picked up just their second win from 10 games at Crystal Palace last weekend. Brentford’s ability to score at will has been a defining feature of their campaign, and they will look to exploit Spurs’ defensive frailties.

Interestingly, the team scoring first in this fixture has failed to win the previous five encounters, with Spurs fighting back to win twice, Brentford once, and two draws. This statistic suggests that neither side is adept at maintaining leads, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in game management.

You should certainly expect goals in this one, too. Brentford and Tottenham are two of three sides, alongside Wolves, whose games have seen 80-plus goals in the Premier League this season (83 for Spurs, 82 for Brentford). The Bees have faced the most shots against them (429), and only four sides have had more than Spurs’ 333 shots at goal. With both teams favoring attacking play over defensive solidity, another goal-fest could be on the cards.

Bryan Mbeumo is likely to be the hosts’ danger man. The Cameroon forward has 17 goal involvements this term (14 goals, 3 assists), with only four players involved in more. Ivan Toney is the only player to have recorded more in a single season for Brentford (20 goals, 4 assists in the 2022-23 campaign). Mbeumo’s ability to create and convert chances makes him a key player for Thomas Frank’s side, and Spurs’ defenders will have their hands full containing him.

Thomas Frank was hopeful Kevin Schade and Christian Nørgaard would be fine after both were substituted in last weekend’s win at Palace, though Rico Henry has a hamstring issue after only recently returning from a long lay-off. Brentford’s squad has endured its share of injury setbacks, but they remain competitive despite their defensive issues.

Tottenham’s scarcely believable injury list has undoubtedly contributed to their woes, and centre-back Radu Dragusin is the latest to be added to the treatment table. He picked up a knee injury in the second half of the game in midweek. The Romanian joins James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, and Cristian Romero on the sidelines for this one. The lengthy injury list has severely hampered Spurs' ability to maintain consistency, and Postecoglou has been forced to shuffle his pack regularly.

Brentford have faced Spurs seven times in the Premier League and have recorded just one victory in those matches (D3 L3). History favors Tottenham, but form suggests that Brentford could spring a surprise.

Each of the three games played between these sides at the Gtech has finished in a draw. If this trend continues, it would represent yet another frustrating outing for Postecoglou’s side, who are desperate for a win to lift spirits and ease the mounting pressure on their manager.

Spurs were victorious the last time these sides met, coming out as 3-1 victors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September. They are now looking to complete a league double over the Bees for the first time. Securing back-to-back wins over Brentford would provide a much-needed morale boost, but Tottenham must overcome their injury woes and rediscover their attacking fluency to do so.