PREVIEW: Brentford head back to North London with Spurs in the crosshairs

A second trip to North London in successive games awaits Brentford on Saturday.

Wednesday’s 2-0 reverse at Arsenal is followed by this much-anticipated reunion with Thomas Frank and his new charges at Spurs. Much has been written about what the Dane achieved at Brentford, but all of that is now in the past. Leave the reminiscing to the sentimentalists. Much as it is hard to let our former head coach define the narrative going into this one, we’ve got more important things to focus on. Namely, getting a win on the road.

That midweek game at The Emirates was a sixth away league reverse out of seven for Keith Andrews’ team. Not great reading but the Bees at least enjoy the luxury of their home form being the polar opposite and, as such, within nuzzling distance of those teams chasing Europe. Ten points currently separate third-placed Aston Villa and Fulham in 15th as the table remains one of the tightest in years. If only The Bees could do on the road what they do at The Gtech.

They won’t get a better chance than on Saturday. It may be true that Spurs have spent big, but they are currently enduring their own woeful run of form after a bright start to the campaign. They’ve not won at home since the opening defeat of Burnley and are currently above Brentford by virtue of goal difference alone. The natives sound as if they are getting very restless with disharmony, discord and dissent the order of the day at present.

The Bees will no doubt be back to much nearer full strength on Saturday following the Arsenal game. A significantly changed line-up going behind early doors in that one and, a Kevin Schade header aside, never seriously threatening David Raya in nets. Saka’s late strike giving it all the gloss of a regulation 2-0 defeat as Keith’s changes ultimately reaped no greater reward than keeping potentially tired legs that bit fitter.

Three games in eight days is a brutal run that won’t get any easier as we approach the Christmas period. You can understand Keith’s using that one to keep the squad happy whilst preserving the likes of Igor Thiago, Mikel Damsgaard, Nathan Collins and Jordan Henderson who all started from the bench. Beating the league leaders in their own back yard was only ever going to be the toughest of challenges (if only we could have played in March when the inevitable choking has begun) so why not mix it up?

After all, those that came in were hardly strangers to the fans although, perhaps, were to each other given the lack of regular game time. Especially with a lack of natural target man and a defence of whom only two out of the five were regular starters.

To be fair, it wasn’t that the Bees were necessarily deficient at the back but more we couldn’t get out of it. The dreaded 5-3-2 bringing on exactly what it offers as The Gunners ended the game with 62% possession and those all-important goals.

This time around will be different. I can only see Keith returning to the four-man backline and additional midfielder we are so used to. The only player of those drafted in that may stay in situ being Rico Henry. He ended up that one as our ‘star-player’ and had a great game on a night where the hosts targeted his flank for the vast majority of their attacking intent.

This is said as much given the absence of Aaron Hickey on Wednesday with the player not even making the bench. Whether this was simply down to a lack of space or a deeper injury issue we’ll see when the team is announced, but otherwise I’m sure there will only be those who beat Burnley 3-1 last weekend:

Kelleher, Hickey, Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Henderson, Damsgaard, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Ouattara, Thiago.

As for Spurs, well frankly who cares? A side that have become as synonymous with messing it up as Leeds United have with falling apart (again) will be sure to be feeling the pressure. Thomas Frank – urgh, couldn’t quite avoid the trap – may have additional motivation to get one over his old team but I’m sure our own fans will be equally keen to remind him he should have stayed in our corner of London. Once the game kicks off, of course.

His priority will be to avoid Spurs doing something Spursy in that desperate search for a home win. Ours will be getting in getting some away points on the board. West Ham being a rare shining light this season, not something you’d normally say about the 1966 World Cup Winners, but there’s even more motivation for The Bees to really go for it.

Not so much ‘the ex’ but more last season’s performance at Spurs. The lightning fast start which saw Bryan Mbeumo score within seconds of kick off eventually turning in to a 3-1 reverse. James Maddison who will be sadly missing tomorrow delivering the coup-de-grâce late on to finally wake the ‘Exam Conditions’ home end from their slumbers.

With goalkeeper Vicario somehow avoiding sanction after clearly handling the ball outside the box as Brentford chased an equaliser, it felt then like one which had really got away.

Here’s to delivering some payback on Saturday afternoon!