Brentford at Tottenham, preview
Fresh on the heels of their hard-fought loss to Arsenal on Wednesday evening, the Bees head back to North London to face former coach Thomas Frank for the first time as coach of Tottenham.
The match-up
This game will be special for many Bees fans (and several Spurs coaching staff) as it will be the first time that Brentford has faced Thomas Frank since his move over the summer. It will be interesting to see how the game plays out, with both teams having deep knowledge of each other.
Brentford have only beaten Spurs once in the Premier League. Spurs have won the last three matches.
Recent form
Spurs have only picked up a single win in their last 8 in all competitions, and haven't won in the Premier League since October.
Brentford have been alternating wins and losses recently. They haven't lost consecutive games all season.
The Opta Power Ranking table shows Tottenham comfortably ahead of the Bees, rated 8th in the league and 14th globally.
Opta Power Rankings (as of 5th December 2025)
| Club | Current PL position | Opta rating | PL rank (Opta) | Global rank (Opta) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford | 13 | 90.6 | 10 | 21 |
| Tottenham | 11 | 90.3 | 11 | 23 |
Where the goals come from
The two teams have scored roughly the same number of goals in the league this season. However, if you look at the players who have scored and the positions they play, you'll see a big difference. Brentford's goals have almost exclusively come from their front 3, while Spurs have a much more even split. Defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have combined for 5 goals.
Comparing Brentford and Tottenham goals by player positions (source FBref)
| Position | Brentford goals | Tottenham goals |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | 18 | 11 |
| Midfield | 3 | 6 |
| Defender | 0 | 5 |
Playing against your old coach
Elite football can be a small world. Eventually, players play against old teams and teammates, and occasionally you get to play against your old coach.
The last time the Bees played against a former coach was in August 2021 when the Bees travelled to Villa Park to take on Dean Smith and Aston Villa. Both teams scored early, but the game ended 1-1.
This story was published on 06 December 2025. It was written by Dennis Flood. The image at the top of this story was generated using AI.
