Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Brentford: 5 talking points as Spurs blown away in final home game of the season | Premier League 2022-23
Tottenham Hotspur went down 3-1 to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday in their final home game of the season.
Harry Kane had given them an eighth-minute lead but a second-half double from Bryan Mbuemo followed by a strike from Yoane Wissa sunk the hapless Spurs.
They had started the match brightly and looked to be in cruise control. Kane put them ahead with a spectacular goal from a free-kick while Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, and Arnaut Danjuma all came close later in the opening half.
Tottenham were seemingly headed for a victory, but Brentford turned the screw after the break when Mbuemo fired in the equalizer in the 50th minute. 12 minutes later, the Cameroonian brought up his brace and made it 2-1 for the Bees.
The hosts suddenly found themselves behind now and tried to find their way back into the game. But their visitors held firm and added insult to injury with a third in the 88th minute through Wissa.
This was Brentford's first victory over Tottenham since March 1948, ending a run of 14 winless games, and closed the gap on them to just one point.
Here are the five talking points from the match:
#5 Harry Kane continues hot streak with top-drawer strike
It's been a tumultuous campaign for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, but Harry Kane has shone consistently for them. The striker bagged his 28th goal of the league season with a lovely effort from a free-kick.
Dejan Kulusevski took a slight touch before Kane whipped in a wonderful kick into the top-right corner as Brentford goalkeeper David Raya had no chance.
This was also the 25th league goal this season for Kane, a record that no player has achieved before. Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who has struck 23, could still surpass it, but the England international will still go down as the first in Premier League history to achieve it.
#4 Brentford's David Raya shines in goal
He may have had no chance with Harry Kane's goal but David Raya proved to be a crucial player for Brentford in goal, making six saves in the evening to frustrate Tottenham.
The home side were dominant in the opening stanza and had several chances to score after Kane's opener, but Raya was equal to almost all of them. He denied Heung-min Son in the 11th minute and then tipped Kulusevski's effort over the bar in the added minutes of the half.
Then in the first minute of stoppage time, the Spaniard produced another key save to deny Richarlison by reacting brilliantly to the Brazilian's powerful header that seemed goal-bound.
#3 Tottenham relinquish lead in 12-minute meltdown
Given their early lead and menacing attacking display in the first half, it seemed like Tottenham were going to win this game with ease. However, the momentum changed soon after the break and Brentford wiped out the deficit with two goals in a space of 12 minutes.
Yoane Wissa moved the ball quickly over to Bryan Mbuemo on the right and the winger took out Ben Davies with relative ease before firing one into the far corner for the equalizer.
Just 12 minutes later, in the 60th minute, Brentford found themselves in front. Aaron Hickey dispossessed Kane in their own area and darted forward after getting it back. He then played the ball to Mbuemo with a top-notch pass and the Cameroonian did the rest.
#2 Mbuemo and Wissa step up in Ivan Toney's absence
Brentford star Ivan Toney was slapped with an eight-month ban on Thursday for breaching the betting rules. It was a huge blow for the Bees as the English striker had scored 20 goals in the Premier League for them and his absence was always going to create a huge void upfront for them.
Their fears were turning out to be true here when Brentford failed to test Tottenham in the first half and looked set for a defeat. However, Mbuemo and Wissa stepped up after the break.
Mbuemo starred with a 12-minute double, both cool finishes. Wissa bagged an assist for his first goal, so Mbuemo returned the favor by setting him for their third of the evening.
Ivan Toney who?
#1 Tottenham need to rebuild their squad
If it wasn't evident already, then today's defeat was another reminder that Tottenham desperately needs a rebuild by letting many of their first-team stars leave.
Their defensive shortcomings were laid bare in the second half when Ben Davies was utterly dominated on the left flank, while Oliver Skipp was responsible for Brentford's third goal.
Davinson Sanchez and Clement Lenglet's defensive pairing clearly hasn't worked, with Spurs conceding 62 times in the Premier League this season. Upfront, Heung-min Son's struggles in front of goal continued with another blank.
Then, there's the question of finding a permanent manager too. With Ryan Mason unable to pull off trees as the caretaker manager, he's unlikely to stay on beyond the summer.
According to the latest reports, Spurs are pursuing a relatively unknown Arne Slot as their next head coach. But the Dutchman led Feyenoord to the Dutch Eredivisie this season, so expectations are high.
Exciting days ahead for Tottenham.