Tottenham Held to Goalless Draw by Brentford on Thomas Frank's Return

A goalless draw was the outcome as Brentford hosted Tottenham, with the visiting team's supporters expressing their dissatisfaction by chanting 'boring, boring Tottenham' at the Gtech Community Stadium. This marked Thomas Frank's return to his former club, where he spent six-and-a-half years before joining Spurs in the summer. Despite earning a 2-0 victory over Brentford just 26 days prior, Tottenham struggled to pose a threat in this match, leading to their fans booing them off the field at both half-time and full-time. Spurs fans also sang songs about their former stars, including Dele, Moussa Dembele, Eric Dier, and former boss Martin Jol, during the first half. Frank was questioned about where supporters needed to be more understanding, to which he replied that it was difficult for him to answer, given that he doesn't engage with social media or articles, and instead focuses on the team's performance. Tottenham had more shots on target than Brentford and recorded higher xG, but their toothless attack failed to trouble goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. This match marked Tottenham's seventh clean sheet of the season in the Premier League, surpassing the six achieved under Ange Postecoglou last season. Brennan Johnson was absent from the Tottenham squad ahead of a potential £35m move to Crystal Palace. The first half was uneventful, with Brentford's Kevin Schade having a tap-in ruled out for offside and Archie Gray's goal-bound header being blocked by Nathan Collins. After the break, Brentford improved, while Tottenham's performance declined. Spurs captain Cristian Romero was fortunate to avoid a red card for his last-man foul on Igor Thiago. Brentford boss Keith Andrews felt that Spurs were 'very lucky' to have escaped the red card. A minute later, Gray went down in the box under a challenge from Schade, but the referee and VAR deemed it unpunishable. The hosts' Keane Lewis-Potter missed his kick when well-placed in the box, and Thiago skied an effort from close range. Vitaly Janelt forced a good save from Guglielmo Vicario with a header as Spurs held on for a point. Player of the Match was awarded to Micky Van de Ven. Thomas Frank praised his team's defensive performance, citing the back four's excellent display and the low number of chances conceded. However, he acknowledged that the team's unforced errors and lack of cutting edge were significant negatives. Brentford boss Keith Andrews felt that his team edged the second half and were building momentum, but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.