Tottenham Hotspur's 2026/27 Premier League campaign began in the worst possible fashion, as Brentford handed them a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.

Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt, and Michael Kayode were all on the scoresheet for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who looked every bit a European contender despite narrowly missing out on the Conference League on tiebreakers last season.

A nightmare start for Spurs

Brentford took the lead as early as the 12th minute. New signing Sangare combined with Igor Thiago before driving into the penalty area, and Lewis-Potter finished coolly with a side-footed effort to give the hosts the advantage.

The second arrived just past the half-hour mark, with Richarlison gifting Brentford possession by losing the ball cheaply near the halfway line. Mathias Jensen's long-range strike was parried by goalkeeper Kinsky, but Janelt was first to react and tapped into an empty net.

The pattern continued after the break. In the 49th minute, Kinsky was unable to hold a stinging volley from the impressive Sangare, and Kayode pounced on the rebound to make it three.

Brentford could have inflated the margin further, but Thiago struck the post from the penalty spot to deny what would have been an even more emphatic scoreline.

Spurs under pressure after big summer spend

The defeat is a chastening start for Tottenham Hotspur, who invested heavily in the squad over the summer in hope of a significant improvement on last season's dismal 17th-place finish — a position that left them safe from relegation by just two points.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi, who rallied Spurs away from the drop last term, now faces the task of translating that summer spending into results on the pitch. On this evidence, Brentford — organised, clinical, and full of energy — look better placed to challenge the upper reaches of the table.