Kane’s scintillating opener proves another false dawn as Mbeumo spearheads Bees’ second-half fightback as Spurs sign off home campaign on bum noteTWO GOALS and an assist from Bryan Mbeumo gave Brentford their first victory over Spurs since 1948, in a match that summed up Tottenham’s season.
Spurs started brightly, Harry Kane gave them an early lead with his 28th goal of the season, but they missed chances to build on it and eventually capitulated to a better-organised side. Inevitably there were protests against the club’s owners, with repeated chants of “We want Levy out” and fans were left deeply unhappy after their last home game of the season ended in yet another defeat.
Brentford’s fans, by contrast, were loving their day in the sun and now have genuine hopes of qualifying for the Europa Conference League, sitting just one point behind Spurs win one game to go. Thomas Frank has built a well-organised and resilient side who have won at Manchester City, Chelsea and now Tottenham. Even without 20-goal Ivan Toney, suspended until next year for betting offences, Brentford had the goal power to see off Tottenham.
But it was Kane who started the scoring with a beauty. Spurs won a free kick 25 yards from goal and the England captain stood over the ball alongside Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede rolled the ball one rotation with his studs and Kane strode forward to hit a powerful shot that dipped and curled before flying into the top corner out of David Raya’s reach.
The Spanish keeper has been targeted by Tottenham to replace Hugo Lloris this summer, and certainly impressed against them with some excellent saves to prevent the home side increasing their lead. He stopped Heung Min Son from close range, as well as long shots from Kane and Kulusevski. Raya also made two outstanding saves from two Richarlison headers in stoppage time to keep Brentford’s lead intact.
Spurs had missed chances to score more in the first-half when they were on top, with Davinson Sanchez heading wide from an early corner and Arnaut Danjuma heading a Son cross the wrong side of the far post. Son was also denied when his goalbound shot was brilliantly blocked by Ben Mee’s outstretched leg.
Tottenham were made to pay for their profligacy when Mbeumo led Brentford’s comeback early in the second half. The French forward’s first goal came after the ball was played from left to right and Mbeumo was deadly accurate in steering his shot into the far corner between two defenders and past Fraser Forster’s outstretched arm.
His second was a similar finish, cutting in from the right wing as he raced on to Aaron Hickey’s incisive through ball to curl a low finish past Forster. Brentford’s supporters erupted with joy, Tottenham’s fans turned on Daniel Levy, with chants of “We want Levy out,” a message also emblazoned across balloons that occasionally drifted down from the stands.
The away fans responded with “Daniel Levy, we want you to stay,” aware perhaps that Tottenham’s travails have given them the chance to qualify for Europe.
Tottenham thought they should have had a penalty when substitute Richarlison had his legs swept away by Ethan Pinnock ten minutes from the end, but referee Jarred Gillett thought otherwise and VAR did not even check it.
And Mbeumo was the architect of Brentford’s killer third goal when he robbed Oliver Skipp 25 yards from goal and slipped the ball to an unmarked Yoan Wissa, who swept it home from close range.
To complete Tottenham’s misery, they were obliged to stay on the pitch at a rapidly-emptying stadium after the final whistle to go through an end-of-season awards ceremony.
Given how far they have fallen from the high hopes and high place earlier in the season, the event had a hollow ring, and instead it was Frank, his players and Brentford’s fans who were celebrating long after the final whistle.
Tottenham (4-4-2): Forster 6; Emerson 6 (Porro 75), Sanchez 5, Lenglet 5, Davies 5 (Perisic 85); Danjuma 6 (Moura 65), Bissouma 6, Skipp 6, Son 6; Kulusevski 5 (Richarlison 75), Kane 7.
Brentford (4-3-3): Raya 9; Hickey 7 (Roerslev 89), Pinnock 7, Mee 7, Henry 7; Onyeka 6 (Damsgard 46), Janelt 6, Jensen 7 (Baptiste 72); Mbeumo 9, Wissa 8 (Dasilva 89), Schade 7 (Zanka 78).
Ref: Jarred Gillett 5/10
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