Thomas Frank handed brilliant lifeline as promising Tottenham reveal ahead of Brentford
Tottenham’s first game of 2026 sees them travel to Brentford on New Year’s Day.
Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 on 6 December, but Thursday’s meeting represents the first time Thomas Frank returns to his old side since leaving them in the summer.
Frank is under pressure at Spurs after an underwhelming start to the season, and 2025 has certainly been a chaotic year in N17, as Ange Postecoglou won the Europa League but was later sacked.
Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday has certainly left supporters optimistic that their league form can improve, and the Lilywhites have a brilliant record against their upcoming opponents.
Tottenham poised to beat Brentford, according to brilliant stats
The Bees demolished Bournemouth 4-1 in their last match, with Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade performing brilliantly for Keith Andrews’ side at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Tottenham have won their last four Premier League matches against Brentford and have only lost one in nine overall, a 3-1 defeat in May 2023.
Brentford have failed to win any of their four Premier League home games against Spurs, with three consecutive draws being followed by a 2-0 defeat last season.
| Brentford | Stat | Tottenham |
| 8 | Wins | 7 |
| 2 | Draws | 4 |
| 8 | Losses | 7 |
| 26 | Points | 25 |
| 8th | League position | 11th |
Tottenham have lost their first league game in two of the last three calendar years, including a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle in 2025.
However, they’ve not lost their opening league game in consecutive calendar years since 2008/2009.
Spurs have played eight London derbies on New Year’s Day in the league previously and only lost once, a 3-0 defeat to West Ham in 1983.
Micky van de Ven was excellent against Palace, and after nullifying Jean-Philippe Mateta’s threat with ease, he faces another tricky match-up against the prolific Thiago.
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Micky van de Ven set for another huge test against Igor Thiago
On Sunday, he won 100 per cent of his ground duels as Spurs returned to winning ways on the road.
Alongside Kevin Danso, Van de Ven handled Mateta comfortably, but Thiago has been one of the breakout stars of the 2025-26 season.
The Brazilian striker has scored 11 goals in the top flight, with only Erling Haaland scoring more (19).
At 191cm, Thiago has been a handful for all defenders this season, and Van de Ven’s aerial duel success rate of 37.7 per cent isn’t promising at all.
With Cristian Romero returning from suspension, the Dutch defender is in the best position to continue his good run of form, but his work will certainly be cut out for him.
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