Brentford came from 1-0 down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 on Saturday to spoil Spur’s final game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Harry Kane had put Spurs ahead with a stunning strike after just eight minutes and the home side will wonder how they didn’t extend their lead as chances for Son Heung-min and Arnaut Danjuma went astray.
Brentford were dismal in the first 45 but came out a completely different side in the second half, scoring three without reply as a fine brace from Bryan Mbeumo and a late sucker punch from Yoane Wissa completed a remarkable turnaround. Mbeumo and Wissa have now scored in all four games that Brentford have played without Ivan Toney so any lingering doubts about their attack dropping off have been put to bed.
Brentford now move to within just a point of Spurs as their European hopes stretch to the final day.
Spurs had the opportunity to leapfrog Brighton into sixth today and after a bright start they got the opener courtesy of who else but Kane.
After eight minutes Spurs won a free-kick and Dejan Kulusevksi and Kane positioned themselves over the ball.
The young Swede was never going to take on the strike but ran over the ball and teed up Kane who pelted a stunning shot into the top corner and past a hapless David Raya. That is now 30 goals in all competitions for Kane this season- with that stunning goal a potential parting gift for the Spurs faithful.
It could have easily been 2-0 minutes later but for Raya. Spurs launched a counterattack as Oliver Skipp sent Son Heung-min away down the left. He was well marshalled by Aaron Hickey, but the winger managed to get a tame shot away which was smothered by Raya.
Spurs were really in the mood and Brentford were certainly still adjusting to life without Toney as their front three struggled to have any impact in the first half.
Spurs’ front four were the opposite- relishing off the decision of Ryan Mason to play four attackers in a 4-4-2, with Kane, Danjuma, Son and Kulusevski all starting.
Kulusevksi and Son combined to near devastating effect when the Swede produced a delicate backheel to set Son towards the byline. He stood a cross up to the back post that Emerson Royal headed goal bound but Rico Henry was positioned on the line to clear for the visitors.
Danjuma then got involved in the action when he saw his deft header brush the outside of Raya’s post following a superb drive and cross from Ben Davies.
Ben Mee then epitomised Brentford’s desperation for the half-time whistle with a quite stunning sliding challenge to block Son’s strike from inside the box that was almost certain to end up in the net.
What some would give to be a fly on the wall in Brentford’s changing room at half-time. The Bees responded in the best way imaginable and came out in the second half to swarm all over Spurs.
After some dismal awareness from Spurs off a throw-in, substitute Mikel Damsgaard roamed into space just outside the Spurs box. The Dane fed Wissa, who turned the ball onto Mbeumo with the Cameroonian side-footing home an exquisite finish past Fraser Forster.
Spurs stagnation continued as Brentford probed for another with the home side’s backline showing their concerning deficiencies once again.
The turnaround was soon complete when Hickey was adjudged to have fouled Kane in the build-up but upon replays, there was nothing in it. Hickey rightfully played on and swept a wonderful through ball into the path of Mbeumo who strolled into the box and slotted past Forster once again.
The pendulum had swung in the favour of Brentford, who were now controlling Spurs and fending off what little attacking threat they produced 30 minutes into the second half.
For all their promising play in the first half, Spurs’ collapse was truly appalling. Brentford merely turned the screw for 15 minutes and flipped the game on its head as the home side wilted under the first signs of pressure from the visitors.
Just to rub salt into Spurs’ gaping wounds, Skipp unforgivably gave the ball away on the edge of his own box as Mbeumo slipped the ball through the legs of Lenglet for Wissa, who lifted the ball over the onrushing Forster.
Before, during and after the game there were chants of ‘Levy Out’ from a section of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and you can only imagine how amplified this feeling of discontent will be in the coming weeks.
