This was supposed to be New Spurs. Daniel Levy, such a magnet for fan apathy, has been sidelined. Roberto De Zerbi’s recruitment drive has won the transfer market. The stadium is still nice. But Spurs and ambition were always an awkward combination and all those cash-fuelled dreams were shattered within an hour of the new season. A few headed for the exits after Brentford’s third goal on 49 minutes. There were not many left by the time those in freakish purple made their way over to that corner of the Gtech at full time.
There was no escaping the irony that the best player on the splendid opening-day pitch was the only new face in Brentford’s starting XI. Mamadou Sangaré, signed for a club-record fee from Lens, made sure his Premier League debut was played at his pace – faster and more dynamic than any of Sandro Tonali, Lucas Bergvall or Conor Gallagher could deal with in midfield. The Mali international ran off Bergvall to set up Keane Lewis-Potter’s first and struck the shot that led to Michael Kayode’s third.
Sangaré is an example of what happens when a club gets its recruitment right. The 24-year-old is clearly a player on the up – and has the temperament to match his talent. His career has not been easy, moving to Europe and Red Bull Salzburg at 18 but spending his years in Austria on loans in the second tier and in Belgium. After a year at Lens that included Coupe de France glory and individual Ligue 1 accolades, Brentford paid what already looks like a bargain £41m. The standing ovation at his second-half withdrawal was the least he deserved.
On the other side, Tonali was the face of Tottenham’s troubles, the £100m marquee signing playing a game where the ball seemed to elude him, tease him from afar. De Zerbi has spoken this summer of how impressed he had been watching the midfielder play as a teenager for the Italian club he supports, Brescia. He looked considerably less impressed with the 26-year-old version after he skied a volley high over the crossbar on 40 minutes, completing a first half of misplaced passes and frustrated fouls, always one step behind the imperious Sangaré.
De Zerbi is known for his boldness – and there was certainly something to be said for making Archie Gray the youngest captain in Tottenham’s history in the absence of the injured new club skipper, Micky van de Ven. You could forgive his predecessor, Cristian Romero, for feeling a touch smug in his new Madrid apartment. The edgy Marcos Senesi, such an unflappable figure amid the turnover in the Bournemouth defence last season, clearly spent too much time with his Argentina teammate Romero at the World Cup. His defensive partner, Jan Paul van Hecke, has not settled in either. Scotland’s captain, Andy Robertson, led out by the 20-year-old Gray here, must be asking what he has let himself in for.
So must Savinho and Omar Marmoush, pending arrivals that will take Spurs’ summer spending towards the dizzying heights of £400m – only Liverpool in 2025 have spent more in a single window out of any club, anywhere. Spurs had brought in six new players before a ball was kicked but still started the season with Richarlison leading the line. The contrast between his meek performance and that of his compatriot and opposite number Igor Thiago, combining power and poise, felt significant. The ease with which Brentford’s No 9 had it all afternoon was evident in his over-relaxed penalty that pinged back off the foot of a post at 3-0.
After establishing a two-goal lead through Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt, Brentford were unfazed by Spurs’ introduction of their £85m signing Mateus Fernandes at the break and carried on where they left off. How high can they fly this season? Unlike many of their rivals, Keith Andrews’ side are without the burden of European football after missing out on the final day of last season. Second-half substitutes such as Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson are handy additions of firepower at a fraction of the cost in a market that is ballooning off the back of Spurs’ wild spending.
