Supercomputer predicts result of Brentford vs Tottenham in Premier League
Thomas Frank is preparing his side for successive London derbies as his Tottenham team take on Brentford on New Year’s Day.
Tottenham travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to meet Brentford in an 8pm kick-off on New Year’s Day, with both teams looking to maintain a winning feeling.
Spurs beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out, which was a much-needed three points as Frank has been under major pressure in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Brentford are in the midst of a two-game winning run, after an emphatic 4-1 victory over Bournemouth last Saturday followed up a 2-0 win over relegation-stricken Wolves.
Tottenham considered underdogs vs Brentford
Tottenham sit 13th in the Premier League heading into their game against Brentford, with the Bees currently positioned in ninth, but crucially, are just one point above Spurs in the table.
It’s going to be a game in which many players must be on their best behaviour, too, as Tottenham have five players facing suspension if they pick up a yellow card against Brentford.
Spurs do have the most recent bragging rights between the two sides, as Frank’s team emerged as 2-0 winners from the reverse fixture on 6 December; Richarlison and Xavi Simons got the goals that day.
In fact, Tottenham have won the last four Premier League meetings between the two London rivals, winning by an aggregate score of 10-3.
However, Opta’s supercomputer believes that will change on New Year’s Day, with Brentford holding a 46 per cent chance of winning, whilst it’s given Spurs a 27.3 per cent chance of victory.
Many Tottenham fans may find that prediction laughable, but it is based on a number of different factors.
- Read more: Thomas Frank reveals if Tottenham will seal ‘wow’ January signings in latest transfer update
Where the keys to Tottenham win over Brentford lay
It’s not going to be an easy night at the office for Tottenham against Brentford, but there are some keys to the game that could unlock three points for Frank’s side.
As per WhoScored, Brentford have scored the joint-second most goals on the counter-attack (six) in the Premier League this season, with only Bournemouth’s seven being more.
On the flip side, the Bees have scored just three goals from set-pieces, which is the joint-fewest in the division alongside Liverpool and Wolves, so preventing counter-attacks and funnelling them into set-piece situations when they develop looks a pragmatic gameplan for Spurs to take.
- Brentford have taken 20 of their 26 points at home this season
- As per FotMob, Brentford have the least amount of accurate passes per game with 290.8
- However, Brentford are third in the PL for the most accurate long balls per game with 22.6
However, whilst they may not be potent at offensive set-piece situations, Brentford have only conceded twice from them this season, which is the joint-lowest amount in the Premier League alongside, incidentally, Tottenham.
Therefore, set-pieces perhaps won’t play a big part in this game from an offensive standpoint, but it certainly seems like they will from a defensive one.
So, they keys to a Tottenham win could lie in limiting counter-attacks, and turning them into set-piece situations for Brentford as much as they can.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Tottenham Hotspur news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @tottenhamnews247