Brentford 0-2 Tottenham: Match report & 4 talking points as pressure eases on Postecoglou

Tottenham Hotspur picked up just their fourth away win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, plummeting down the Premier League table amid a wretched run of form caused by a mind-boggling number of injuries to key players.

Spurs' aggressive style of play under Ange Postecoglou has also led to self-inflicted wounds, but they were far more controlled against Brentford, who had the fifth-best home record going into the game.

Vitaly Janelt's first-half own goal turned out to be the difference, with the result put to bed late on by Pape Matar Sarr's prodded finish from close range.

How the game unfolded

The feeling pre-game was that Brentford and Tottenham would go hammer and tong at one another, with wave after wave of attack providing the ultimate spectacle.

Instead, a rather scrappy affair transpired in a sun-soaked west London, though both Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou will take positives from what they saw.

Kevin Schade looked lively in the opening exchanges for Brentford, creating a couple of half-chances, but some good defending from Pedro Porro and Archie Gray kept the hosts at bay. At the other end, Dejan Kulusevski had the first glimpse at the goal for the visitors, but his effort after being teed up by Mikey Moore was well blocked by Nathan Collins.

Ten minutes later, Tottenham had the breakthrough in the most scrappy way imaginable. Son Heung-min's devilishly whipped corner dropped under the crossbar of stand-in goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who was boxed in by Yves Bissouma. It led to the ball thundering against Vitaly Janelt, who was marking Bissouma while not even looking at the ball, and into the back of the net.

Brentford upped the intensity after the half-time interval, pressing Tottenham back into their own half, and Wissa had a great chance to level the scores. But the Nottingham Forest-linked striker couldn't turn Mikkel Damsgaard's home after Schade's glancing header changed the trajectory of the ball.

Substitute Lucas Bergvall went close for Spurs, firing just wide of the far post, while Kulusevski should have done better when bearing down on Valdimarsson's goal from an angle.

Djed Spence then cleared off the line superbly as Fabio Carvalho, another substitute, attempted an overhead kick from a long throw into the box, and a minute later Spurs sealed the points. Striding forward on the counter, Sarr collected a delicious defence-splitting through pass from Son, and he poked first time into the back of the net to fire Spurs above West Ham United into 14th.

Player ratings

Check out the player ratings from Brentford 0-2 Tottenham here.

Mbeumo positioning himself for summer transfer battle

Brentford won't want to sell prized asset Bryan Mbeumo, but it's becoming increasingly more difficult to see how Thomas Frank's side will be able to keep him out of the clutches of a so-called 'bigger club'.

The 25-year-old can play anywhere across the frontline, impressing most when he drifts in from the right, and has tremendous ability with the ball at either foot. Couple that valued commodity with his pace, intelligent runs and composure, and you can comfortably imagine him wearing an Arsenal or Liverpool shirt.

Spurs handled Mbeumo well on this occasion, limiting his space to do damage with the equally impressive Yoane Wissa, but it was another display to suggest he's ready to play on the European stage - something Brentford are unlikely to be able to offer no matter how well they might finish the season.

Classy Kulusevski impresses again

Spurs weren't at their fluid best but there was always an element of calm serenity around Dejan Kulusevski.

The Swede was wonderful in possession, showcasing his quick feet and ability to pivot on the spot and protect the ball with his body, and he got into some really dangerous positions. The lack of goal threat from elsewhere perhaps made him stand out even more, but there's no denying that the 24-year-old is the club's most important player right now.

Lose him to injury or suspension and you wonder if the glue holding this patched up team together would fully unstick.

105 games and counting since Tottenham drew 0-0

It had been 1,016 days since Tottenham last contested a Premier League game that ended 0-0 - ironically against Brentford away.

And with the way Ange Postecoglou continues to set his side up, refusing to renege on his high backline principles, it's hard to imagine where their next goalless draw is coming from. That's not to point the finger at Spurs' defence by saying they look like they are going to concede all the time, but also a nod to how dangerous they can be going forward.

Yes, they've lost the superstar that is Harry Kane, and yes, Son Heung-min is not the force he once was. But with the South Korean, Dejan Kulusevski, and the emerging talents of Mikey Moore and Lucas Bergvall (discounting the injured Dominic Solanke), Spurs are capable of scoring against absolutely anybody even if they are playing well below their best.

Brentford gifted them the lead to continue the streak and, in truth, the visitors were pretty poor in the final third despite the final scoreline. They shouldn't need such generosity moving forward for the goal glut to continue and if for whatever reason they do stop scoring, that dangerously high defence that really doesn't like to be pressed is a good bet to wobble.

High-octane Brentford a credit to Thomas Frank in defeat

Brentford had scored 29 goals in 12 home games prior to Tottenham's visit - the most netted by any Premier League team in front of their own supporters.

To some, that may seem like a miraculous achievement given Ivan Toney's sale to Saudi Arabia in the summer, but it won't be much of a surprise to those who watch the Bees week in and week out. Always looking to get in the face of their opponents, Brentford work incredibly hard in and out of possession and look to stretch the game at any opportunity.

In Wissa, they have one of the most willing runners of the channel in the division, and in Mbeumo and Mikkel Damsgaard, they have players with the ability to create something out of nothing. Chances didn't come thick and fast on this occasion, but Brentford's response to falling behind was exactly what you'd expect from Frank's charges.

Spurs were pushed back time and time again by Brentford's aggressive press - Damsgaard, Christian Norgaard and a combination of Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen winning the proverbial midfield battle in that sense - and they will feel they were worth a share of the spoils.

Yet it was not to be for Brentford, who instead saw Sarr slide home late on after a terrific slide-rule pass from Spurs captain Son Heung-min.

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