August 13, (THEWILL) – Tottenham Hotspur began life without Harry Kane with an entertaining 2-2 draw at Brentford on Sunday, to start Ange Postecoglou’s reign in charge.
Cristian Romero headed Spurs in front early on, but the Bees bounced back to lead through Bryan Mbeumo’s penalty and Yoane Wissa. Emerson Royal’s strike levelled the scores again before half-time and both sides had to settle for a point to begin the English Premier League season.
Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich on Saturday had overshadowed the buildup to Postecoglou’s first competitive game as Spurs manager. The Australian’s daring, front-foot approach was already in evidence. However, so were defensive deficiencies that Brentford could have made more of.
For the second time in two days the start to an EPL game was delayed, this time due to no running water at the stadium. When the action did get underway, Spurs settled the better despite Kane’s emotional farewell. In his absence, Postecoglou named Heung-Min Son captain with Maddison and Romero as deputies. The vice-captains combined for the opening goal before Romero was replaced due to suspected concussion.
Brentford equalised through Mbeumo’s penalty after a VAR review. Wissa then put them ahead as his shot deflected in off Van de Ven. But Emerson blasted home to level before half-time, though Mbeumo missed a golden chance to put Brentford back in front. Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half but had to settle for a point. Liverpool and Chelsea are in action in a battle of EPL heavyweights for fans to enjoy on Sunday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
