Tottenham Hotspur ended a 2-match losing streak in the Premier League by beating Brentford yesterday.
The London heavyweights went 1 goal down after just 1 minute, but there was a quick response with Dominic Solanke scoring his maiden club goal in the 8th minute. Brennan Johnson put Spurs ahead before the break.
James Maddison put the game beyond doubt with Spurs’ 3rd goal in the 85th minute. The Englishman had a memorable outing against the Bees. Apart from his late strike, he won an outstanding 14 ground duels against Thomas Frank’s side.
The 27-year-old had 87 touches in the derby with a pass completion rate of 88%. He created 3 key chances, winning 7 take-ons. It was a superb performance from Maddison, who seems to be finding form at the right time for the London giants.
Spurs have jumped into the top half of the league table on goal difference to Manchester United. They will be aiming to continue the momentum when they host Qarabag in their first game of the new Europa League format on Thursday evening.
The new league phase will see Spurs play 4 games at home and 4 on the road. Finishing in the top 8 is essential to qualify for the round of 16 directly. The teams finishing 9th to 24th in the 36-team league will need to play in the knock-out round play-off.
Manager Ange Postecoglou will no doubt want to avoid an additional 2 games in February and a strong line-up should be expected in midweek. Maddison is starting to find his stride and should play at least 60 minutes in Europe on Thursday.
Spurs have a huge Premier League trip to Manchester United following the midweek action. The game could be an early decider in the top 4 race. Spurs are unbeaten in the last 3 meetings versus United, but have not won at Old Trafford since 2020.
