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Sangare Shines as Brentford Dismantle Spurs on Opening Day
Premier League

Sangare Shines as Brentford Dismantle Spurs on Opening Day

54 minutes ago·2 min

Brentford delivered a statement performance on the opening day of the Premier League season, handing Roberto De Zerbi's expensively assembled Tottenham Hotspur side a comprehensive defeat at The Gtech Community Stadium.

Sangare the standout performer

Mamadou Sangare was the game's dominant force, earning an impressive 8/10 rating. The club-record £39m signing won possession, distributed intelligently, and provided the assist for Keane Lewis-Potter's opener. If this display is any guide, Brentford's outlay already looks like outstanding value.

Lewis-Potter's clinical finish gave Brentford the lead, while Vitaly Janelt pounced for a second — set up by Mathias Jensen, whose effort was pushed into the striker's path by a fumbling Antonin Kinsky. Michael Kayode added a third to effectively seal the contest.

Tonali's nightmare debut

At the other end, Sandro Tonali endured a dreadful start to life at Spurs. The £100m summer signing drew ironic cheers from the home crowd for one wayward first-half effort and failed to leave any meaningful mark on proceedings, earning just a 4/10 from BBC Sport's rater.

He was not alone in his misery. Conor Gallagher picked up a booking for a foul on Sangare and was withdrawn at half-time, while Lucas Bergvall wasted possession to gift Brentford their second goal. New goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky endured a difficult afternoon, his distribution repeatedly letting the side down and his error contributing directly to Janelt's strike.

Spurs' new signings struggle on all fronts

Archie Gray, named the youngest captain in Spurs history, was deployed as an emergency right-back and found the role a sobering experience. Andrew Robertson had a tough debut at left-back, unable to cope with Brentford's pace on the flank, while Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke were both rattled by the physical presence of Igor Thiago in attack.

Thiago himself produced a strong overall display but missed a second-half penalty that could have stretched the lead further. Dango Ouattara's high energy contributed significantly despite a costly missed chance in the first half, and Mathias Jensen was a consistent threat from set-pieces throughout.

For De Zerbi, whose remit was to reshape Spurs into a dynamic, attack-minded outfit, this was a chastening opening result. Brentford, by contrast, looked organised, hungry, and — with Sangare at their heart — potentially dangerous to anyone in the division.

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