View: Eric Dier must deliver as Tottenham face aerial bombardment v Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to keep their hopes of European football alive when they face Thomas Frank’s Brentford on Saturday.
The Bees head to North London looking to continue their fine Premier League campaign and inflict yet more misery on Ryan Mason’s side.
Frank has recently been linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Spurs’ fans could potentially get a good look at how their side could play if Frank was given the job.
Brentford are known for being fairly innovative in the way the set-up, with there being a focus on set-pieces and direct play. According to Wyscout, the West Londoners have attempted 1779 long balls during the 2022/23 season, which has only been topped by Liverpool. On average, they’re going long 44 times each game, with a success rate of 56 per cent.
Spurs should be anticipating an aerial battle and will need the likes of Cristian Romero and Eric Dier to be at their best. However, the Bees are going to have to do without Ivan Toney, after the England international was banned for eight months due to breaching betting guidelines.
The 27-year-old has been immense during the 2022/23 season and has built a reputation as one of the best hold-up players in the division. Toney has a 50 per cent duel success rate and competes at least ten times aerially per match.
His absence is going to severely damage Brentford in an attacking sense. With nearly three shots per game now missing, the onus will be on Frank to find a goal threat from elsewhere.
This is a game where Spurs will have to be patient in possession. Brentford have the sixth-lowest possession in the Premier League. When they get the ball, they like to move it forward quickly.
One other aspect to consider for Spurs is Brentford’s ability to utilise their substitutes bench. Frank has made 31 more changes during league fixtures than Tottenham and their ability to keep things fresh could well give them the edge in the latter stages.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are tricky customers, but, if Frank looks to deploy the same level of directness, they could struggle if Spurs’ backline have a relatively good day. With Dier the only Spurs player in the top 30 for Aerial duel success rate, Mason will be looking for the likes of Romero to step up to what will be a physical test.
In other Tottenham news, it’s time for Harvey White to move on from Spurs