Thomas Frank facing nightmare Tottenham scenario in Brentford reunion

In partnership with

Evening Standard

·4. Dezember 2025

Thomas Frank facing nightmare Tottenham scenario in Brentford reunion

Bees have fared well without Frank and failure to beat his former side would only add to scrutiny on Spurs head coach

Thomas Frank faces his old club when Spurs host Brentford on Saturday

OneFootball Videos

AFP via Getty Images

The narrative for Tottenham and Brentford's respective seasons was firmly taking shape after five matches of the Premier League campaign.

Spurs had just come from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Brighton. The talk in the early weeks of the season had been about their new-found defensive strength and tactical flexibility under Thomas Frank. The comeback at the Amex suggested there was a strong mentality and character to go with it.

Brentford, meanwhile, had fallen to a 3-1 defeat against Fulham to sit 17th in the table. A summer in which they lost their manager, captain and two most prolific attacking players left many predicting inevitable relegation.

Just over two months later, as Frank prepares for a first reunion with his former club on Saturday afternoon, the two clubs are level on points.

Brentford striker Igor Thiago is the second top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals, at least six more than any Spurs player has managed.

Spurs drew 2-2 at Newcastle on Saturday

Getty Images

The underlying data shows Brentford registering better numbers for both expected goals and expected goals against, adapting to life without Frank and under Keith Andrews better than most would have assumed.

A midweek draw with Newcastle at St James' Park provided some slight respite for Frank after a run of defeats piled the pressure on him, but there can be no doubting the significance of this match against familiar opposition for him.

The stats by now are well known. Spurs have won three of their last 14 matches. They have not won at home in the Premier League since the opening weekend of the season. In their last 21 matches on home soil in the league, Spurs have picked up three victories.

After defeat to Fulham last weekend, Frank responded firmly when it was suggested he has already lost sections of the fanbase.

He said: "When you say you lose the fans, how many is that? Five per cent? 10 per cent? 15 per cent? 20 per cent? How much is it? I don't know.

"We would like to get all 100 per cent on board and there's only two things we can do. We can perform and keep connected."

Failure to win at home to Brentford on Saturday and the weight of opinion of many fans against him could reach a point that is tough to come back from.

Frank desperately needs a convincing win against Brentford

Getty Images

This is not a game to set up cautiously in with concern for the opposition, with all due to respect for Brentford. Nor is a match to be taking an age preparing set-pieces and long throws.

Spurs must prove they can dominate a match, create chances and score goals. They did it against Copenhagen last month in the Champions League but there has been little sign of it in the Premier League for weeks, if not months.

Brentford have a poor away record this season, with a win and five defeats from their six matches on the road. However, that does not normally stop Spurs tripping over their own feet.

Fulham have four points away from home in the Premier League, three of which were generously offered up by Spurs. Wolves' only point, and indeed goal, on their travels this season came against Frank's side.

The Frank era will go nowhere unless Spurs improve on their home form and give their fans something to cheer. Games that are obviously winnable on paper must play out that same way on the pitch.

It has been a long wait for Spurs to rip off their home shackles and put a team to the sword in the Premier League. That needs to finally come on Saturday against a club Frank knows better than any other.