Tottenham Hotspur secured a 2-0 victory over Brentford at the latter's home ground, effectively ending their four-game losing streak in the Premier League. The win came as a significant morale boost for the team, especially with an upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Brentford, on the other hand, extended their winless run at home to six games across all competitions, leaving manager Thomas Frank with a sense of missed opportunity.
The match unfolded on a challenging note for Tottenham, who faced a depleted squad due to injuries. Despite these adversities, they managed to clinch the win, with manager Ange Postecoglou acknowledging the difficulties they faced.
"Difficult place to come, difficult place to win at and difficult place to keep them out." – Ange Postecoglou
Prioritizing the Carabao Cup semi-final tie, Postecoglou made the strategic decision to leave Micky van de Ven out of the squad. Tottenham had minimal recovery time, playing Thursday-Sunday without player rotation, which added to their challenges. Meanwhile, Brentford had a full week to prepare for this encounter, an advantage they could not capitalize on.
Brentford dominated possession with 37 crosses and 48 touches in the box but failed to find the back of the net. Their efforts proved futile against Tottenham's goalkeeper, Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his first Premier League start in place of the injured Mark Flekken. Despite his commendable performance, pundit Jamie Carragher remarked on his positioning as a potential "recipe for disaster."
"The way they play you have to defend your box: throw-ins, set-pieces, crosses, you have to do that irrespective of how you tactically want to play." – Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham's first goal came from Heung-Min Son's assist, which Pape Sarr capitalized on, racing past Brentford's defense. This goal set the tone for a match that Tottenham couldn't dominate but efficiently managed to control.
"It wasn't a game we could go out and dominate. Brentford had a week to prepare for this, we had 50-something hours. In that context the performance was outstanding." – Ange Postecoglou
Thomas Frank expressed his disappointment post-match, emphasizing the missed opportunities his team encountered.
"It definitely felt like a missed opportunity. We did a lot of things right. But this is football and in football even if you do a lot of things right it doesn't mean you're going to win the game." – Thomas Frank
Brentford's inability to convert their chances into goals left them frustrated, highlighting their struggles at home this season. The match underscored the tactical challenges they faced against a team like Tottenham, who despite their own setbacks, found ways to secure crucial points.
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