Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur kicks off on 22 Aug 2026 at 12:30 EST and 17:30 GMT.
Brentford aim to go one better
Only goal difference prevented the Bees from qualifying for Europe in May, but they've done some good business in the transfer market. They've spent over £60m this summer, breaking their transfer record to sign Mali international midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens, while also adding proven Premier League players Callum Wilson and Jaidon Anthony to augment their attacking options.
Getty ImagesThiago is key
Can Brazilian talisman Igor Thiago replicate his heroics from last season? He did enough to win a World Cup spot for Brazil, but he scored once in his team’s final six matches, showing that the 27-year-old can be a streaky player. Still, his tally of 22 goals was only better by Erling Haaland's 27.
Getty ImagesStar signing Sangare arrives to add sting to the Bees' midfield
When Lens went close to denying PSG the Ligue 1 title last term, Mamadou Sangaré was pivotal. Brentford’s midfield has lost Jordan Henderson and Christian Nørgaard over the last two seasons, though Sangaré will offer different strengths. Opta stats from last season showed only Elliot Anderson and Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios averaged more possession regains in Europe’s top five leagues. Manager Andrews is excited about his arrival, saying that he offers the team something they didn't previously have.
Set piece reliance
Brentford scored 10 set-play goals last season – it was their joint-fewest in a Premier League campaign, and only three teams in the division had a worse record. Yet no club in the division was more reliant upon free-kicks, corners and throw-ins to generate shots. 41.2% of their shots came from set-piece situations; only Union Berlin and Getafe's figures in that metric were higher across Europe's top five leagues.
Getty ImagesBig-spending Spurs want to forget a horrible 2025-26 season
Six marquee arrivals have all impressed in pre-season for Tottenham, who narrowly escaped the dreaded drop last season. New £185m midfield pairing of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are eye-catching signings, as are defenders Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke. They might be needed on the opening day, with star defender Micky van de Ven not managing a single second of action in pre-season. Pedro Porro, Mohammed Kudus and Destiny Udogie also failed to feature in pre-season, meaning new left-back Andy Robertson should start. 20-year-old Archie Gray could be set to start at right-back. The versatile youngster skippered the club in pre-season following Cristian Romero's move to Atletico Madrid.
Getty ImagesLikely XIs
Brentford (433): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Sangare, Jensen; Ouattara, Thiago, Schade.
Tottenham (4231): Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Tonali, Bergvall; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
Team news & squads
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur Probable lineups
Keith Andrews will be without Yehor Yarmoliuk and Sepp van den Berg through injury as Brentford prepare for the opening match. No probable starting lineup has been confirmed, and further updates are expected closer to kick-off.
Tottenham arrive with a lengthy injury list that will test De Zerbi's squad depth from the outset. Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Mateus Fernandes, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke are all sidelined. No probable lineup has been provided, and the club's ongoing transfer activity may yet alter the picture before kick-off.
Form
Brentford's last five results show two wins, two draws, and one defeat. Their most recent outing was a 2-4 victory over Rennes in a pre-season friendly, while their final Premier League match of last season ended in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. The Bees also drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace before suffering a 3-0 loss to Manchester City, with a 3-0 win over West Ham rounding out that run. Across those five matches, they scored nine goals and conceded seven.
Tottenham's last five results show four wins and one draw, though that record is built almost entirely on pre-season friendlies. Their most recent outing was a 1-1 draw with Getafe, while they beat Chelsea 2-1 in a friendly before that. Spurs also recorded wins over Sydney FC, Auckland FC, and Milton Keynes Dons during their pre-season programme. The absence of competitive matches makes their form difficult to assess ahead of the Premier League opener.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these sides was a 0-0 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium in January 2026. Tottenham won the reverse fixture 2-0 at home in December 2025. Across the last five Premier League meetings, Spurs have won three, Brentford have won none, and two matches have ended level, with Tottenham scoring 10 goals to Brentford's three across that run.