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Tottenham Hotspur‘s season had been in absolute freefall, with their last victory in the league dating back to December 15, 2024, but a crucial 2-0 win over Brentford on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Gtech Community Stadium has given them a much-needed boost. The win, courtesy of Vitaly Janelt’s first-half own goal and Pape Sarr’s late strike, was well-deserved for Spurs, particularly given the makeshift nature of Ange Postecoglou’s team.
The match began with Brentford seeking to assert their usual physical dominance over a Spurs defense that was once again without the injured Micky van de Ven. Morten Damsgaard drew an early block, while Kevin Schade’s pace caused problems for the Spurs backline. Archie Gray, however, was outstanding in defense for Spurs, impressing with his positioning and timely ability to read the game.
As the first half wore on, Brentford continued to press, with Yoane Wissa flicking a header off target and Schade seeing a goalbound effort blocked by Gray. The Spurs fans, meanwhile, were growing restless, chanting for Daniel Levy to step down, just as they’ve demonstrated in the past few weeks.
But then, against the run of play, Spurs were handed a gift. A rare attack brought a corner, which Son Heung-min swung in with his trademark devilry. The delivery caused chaos in the Brentford box, and the ball eventually flew in off Janelt’s back. Hákon Valdimarsson, making his first top-flight start in goal for Brentford, will feel he could have done better in dealing with the corner, but couldn’t.
Brentford sought an immediate response, with Antonin Kinsky batting away a vicious drive from Christian Nørgaard. However, Spurs could sense an opportunity to counterattack and exploit the spaces left by Brentford’s high defensive line. Dejan Kulusevski fizzed a shot agonizingly across goal, while Richarlison was fortunate to escape injury after being struck in the face by Bryan Mbeumo’s volley.
The second half saw Postecoglou introduce Lucas Bergvall for the impressive but ultimately overwhelmed Mikey Moore. Bergvall’s introduction helped to shore up the Spurs defense, which was coming under increasing pressure from Brentford’s high-tempo attacks. Kristoffer Ajer slalomed past Bergvall during one such attack, but Kinsky’s cross was eventually repelled.
Brentford’s best chance of the half fell to Wissa, who blasted over via the top of the bar after being played through by Schade. It was a let-off for Spurs, who would eventually make the game safe with Sarr’s late strike. The Senegalese midfielder finished a move started by a decisive burst from Rodrigo Bentancur, securing a vital three points for Postecoglou’s team.
The win which could mean a significant turning point in Tottenham’s shambolic season, as they will hope to build on this momentum in the coming weeks. For Brentford, the defeat is a setback, but they will seek to regroup and revive their push for a top-half finish.
