Tottenham will look to get off to a strong start.
Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed an emphatic preseason with an unbeaten run to show for it, but the Lilywhites will finally begin their 2026/27 campaign looking to put behind their woes from last season. And this time around Spurs commence their campaign with a short but difficult trip to Brentford.
Penning this article and hoping to think about the game, it felt a bit absurd for me to point at the game and call it important given we are only in the opening weekend of the season. But then you start pondering in the context of the campaign, and suddenly it is vital for the Lilywhites to start with a statement.
Roberto De Zerbi & Co. (as I mentioned earlier) are looking to put the appalling 2025/26 season behind them, and that is where Vinai and the chiefs brought in six new signings. Those incomings show how the board is not just backing the former Brighton head coach but is more like putting all of their eggs in De Zerbi’s basket (quite literally).
When RDZ took charge of this Tottenham side deep into last season, there was not much on the agenda then, English top-tier survival. And that is where the performances from Spurs didn’t always resemble the kind of football you’d generally associate with a De Zerbi team.
But now there are no such excuses, and he has had a full preseason complemented by a considerable backing in the transfer market. The North Londoners have forked out over £200m in summer signings. And this spending means the North Londoners will have the capacity to field a more talented team with a man on the touchline who is more suited to get the best out of them.
But all of that is on paper and in preseason friendlies. The difficult task of it starts now.
Brentford away will be an awkward game for any side, irrespective of when it comes in the season. The Bees have this way of playing a compact yet aggressive defensive line with a patient structure that is quite difficult to bypass. And let me be honest, Gtech Community Stadium is not the place to discover that your center-backs have not yet learned each other’s names.
Match Info
Date: Saturday, 22 August 2026
Time: Kickoff at 17:30 HRS BST.
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium
Team News
Brentford
Keith Andrews will now go into the season with a greater sense of confidence after the Bees missed out on European football only on goal difference. And now that should be enough and more in terms of confidence for the roster.
The hosts will be without Yehor Yarmoliuk and Sepp van den Berg for the game.
Brazilian striker Igor Thiago was apparently linked with a move away from Brentford but has stayed put this summer despite all the rumors. And he is likely to lead the line for the hosts with Schade and Ouattara supporting him from the flanks.
Brentford also brought in highly touted midfielder Sangare in the second phase, and he will be in line to make his competitive debut against Spurs this weekend.
Andrews has also added a bit of experience on the bench this summer with Callum Wilson and Jaidon Anthony, both of whom may have a part to play late in the game.
Tottenham
For the visitors, availability at the back remains the biggest concern for the North Londoners. Star defender Micky van de Ven was not available along the preseason after an extended hiatus following the World Cup. Pedro Porro also arrived late into the camp.
Mohammed Kudus and Destiny Udogie weren’t able to take part owing to injuries. Mikey Moore can be in line to make his start on the right wing following his recent brace in the preseason.
While Cristian Romero has completed his transfer to Atletico Madrid after a lot of speculation, which leaves Archie Gray as the man who can don the skipper’s armband in the first game of the season.
There is also a chance for Mateus Fernandes to be benched given the knocks that he has been nursing for the past couple of weeks.
Possible lineup for Brentford vs Tottenham
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Sangare, Janelt; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago
Tottenham: Kinsky, Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson, Tonali, Bergvall, Moore, Gallagher, Tel, and Richarlison
