Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to keep their hopes of qualifying for European football alive when they host Brentford. The Bees have enjoyed another excellent season in the top-flight and Thomas Frank can consider himself unfortunate not to have made the Manager of the Season shortlist.
There are plenty of standout individuals in this fixture who could contribute to a successful bet builder. Check out our Stats Pack Guide to make sure you take as much as possible from the data we have produced below.
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Tottenham vs Brentford Confirmed Lineups
Kulusevski most likely to return for Spurs
Spurs were dealt a big blow with the 2-1 loss away at Aston Villa last weekend but it’s unlikely Ryan Mason will make too many changes given they came up short on the finer margins. Swedish attacker Dejan Kulusevski replaced Brazilian Richarlison after an hour in that game and he could be brought back in to try and provide more control in their bid to break down a stubborn Brentford side.
Brentford expected to utilise back four
Thomas Frank deserves credit for the way he has managed to keep his team performing to a high level while chopping and changing system depending on the opposition. He’s likely to stick with the back four with Kevin Schade playing on the left of a front 3. Key players Ivan Toney (betting ban) and Christian Norgaard (injury) will miss out, providing opportunity for the likes of Vitaly Janelt and Yoann Wissa to stake a claim.
Tottenham vs Brentford Team Stats
Chronic defensive issues causing Spurs pain
Spurs have had a lot of issues this term and it shows in the similarities between the number of shots and shots on target taken and conceded. They have overperformed in front of goal, as is probably expected when you’ve got Harry Kane in your team, but defensive issues have caused them serious harm, underperforming against their expected numbers and conceding more than all but five teams in the Premier League.
Discipline is also a problem, Spurs games somewhat chaotic as far as fouls and cards go – they have picked up and drawn over two cards per game on average.
Brentford give up shots but few big chances
Thomas Frank has made his team a frustrating one for opponents, often falling short on the shot count but ruthless with how they pick and choose their opportunities. The Bees sit 18th for shots taken and have conceded the second most shots on target this season yet they sit 7th for xG for and against and are matching their expected numbers, leading to their top-half position.
Brentford are also highly disciplined and organised, competent defending set-pieces despite giving a high number of them away and receiving very few cards.
Tottenham vs Brentford Shots and Shots on Target Stats
Back Spurs to get shots away
As referenced above, Brentford give up a lot of shots and shots on target so Spurs shots should form part of your Tottenham vs Brentford bet builder. The obvious pair to look at are Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, who average comfortably over a shot on target per 90, the former only failing to hit the target five times this season. Keep an eye on Pedro Porro, the right-wing-back who has been able to play higher with Emerson Royal’s emergence as a right-sided centre-back – he has had a shot on target in three of his four matches under Mason and two or more shots in 8 of 11.
Mbuemo to step up in Toney’s absence
The absence of Ivan Toney is a huge one and Brentford need somebody to step up. Bryan Mbuemo will be one of those men expected to do so, the winger averaging over two shots per 90 and just short of a shot on target per game. He has had a shot on target in his last five appearances and should start up front. Rico Henry is one to keep an eye on – the left-back has had a shot in four of his last five matches and the 3-5-2 system will be designed to get him higher up the pitch.
Tottenham vs Brentford Goals and Assists Stats
Front two continue to lead the way for Spurs
It hasn’t been a stellar campaign for Tottenham but you can always bank on Harry Kane stepping up and the England and Spurs captain has had a fantastic campaign, scoring 27 goals – it’s unfortunate Erling Haaland has performed so well and taken the shine of the 29-year-old’s best scoring season since 2017/18. Son has struggled at times this season but maintains a respectable ten goals and five assists – four of those goals have come in his last seven appearances.
Big opportunity for others at Brentford
Again, Ivan Toney is absent and that dilutes Brentford’s goal and assist count considerably – somebody needs to step up. Bryan Mbuemo will again fancy himself to be that man having mustered 13 goal contributions from a variety of different positions. Mathias Jensen will also fancy himself to help out, being the third Brentford player to muster over 10 goal contributions this term, helped by his ability from set-pieces.
Tottenham vs Brentford Passing Stats
Spurs likely to dominate from the back
Spurs have been hit and miss with their domination in possession this season but it stands to reason they might be worth looking at for your bet builder. While they have averaged 49.8% possession across the season, they had 61% of the ball against Brentford last time the pair played and over 50% in their last two matches. Clement Lenglet and Christian Romero have attempted over 70 passes in those matches and are available at 1.53 and 1.73 to do the same again on Saturday.
Don’t expect much from Brentford in possession
Brentford are structured, organised and disciplined in their approach and that often comes with seeing less of the ball – only four other teams have averaged less possession this season. If you do believe Brentford will attempt a lot of passes, Ben Mee is available for a decent price of 1.62 to make 50 or more passes and could be worth adding to your bet builder.
Tottenham Cards and Fouls Stats
Left-wing-back Davies to have his hands full
Ben Davies hasn’t spent too much time as a wing-back in recent years having made a name for himself as a left-sided centre-back but his return to that role has come with a more aggressive approach, the Welshman committing a foul in five of his six appearances in that role. The bookies are otherwise firmly on top of Spurs players but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Christian Romero stand out, the former committing two fouls in three of his four matches under Mason and the latter committing two or more in 12 of his 26 league starts.
Hickey causing problems for opponents
Brentford don’t draw too many fouls from their opposition and the absence of Toney will again heighten that. However, Aaron Hickey is making a name for himself as a tricky customer down Brentford’s right, the wing-back being fouled on average 1.74 time per 90, being fouled in 17 of his 21 league starts and twice or more in nine of those. Elsewhere, Yoann Wissa likes to commit the opposition and will likely occupy left-hand channel whether playing as a striker or winger.
Key matchups:
Ben Davies vs Aaron Hickey
Christian Romero vs Yoann Wissa
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg vs Mikkel Damsgaard
Brentford Cards and Fouls Stats
Brentford’s wing-backs getting into trouble
Aaron Hickey may be a lot of fun going forward but the rawness in his game has also led to him getting caught out, leading to seven yellow cards having committed over a foul per 90 minutes played – he has committed a foul in his each of his last seven appearances. On the other flank, Rico Henry isn’t quite as untested but his foul count is increasing, fouling an opponent in five of his last six appearances and 12 of his last 17.
Henry may find himself in trouble against the lively Pedro Porro, whose willingness to run at the opposition is now being utilised higher up the pitch. Otherwise, it’s Spurs’ main two receiving the most attention from opponents, Kane being fouled twice or more in three of Mason’s four league matches in charge and Son being fouled in each of his last ten league matches for Spurs.
Key matchups:
Rico Henry vs Pedro Porro
Aaron Hickey vs Ben Davies
Ethan Pinnock vs Harry Kane
