Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur: Short Trip Follows Long Break

by Matthew Harris · 22nd December 2022

The wait for domestic football is over as the EPL returns on Boxing Day. Kicking off the afternoon’s entertainment at 12.30pm are Brentford and Spurs, who will both be eager to end the year with another three points.

Like all clubs, Tottenham are assessing the players who were involved in Qatar. Some return with injuries while others will have found some form during the tournament. World Cup winner Cristian Romero will clearly be on a high while others, notably Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris, will feel that they could have done better.

Will their performances have an effect on the Premier League as it returns, or is it business as usual?

Team News

We know all about Richarlison’s hamstring issues, but the Brazilian is one of three players to return from the World Cup with injuries. Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur are also struggling and may miss out on Monday.

It’s also being reported that Ryan Sessegnon has yet to shake off the injury that he picked up against Nottingham Forest while Clement Lenglet, Lucas Moura, Emeron Royal and Fraser Forster are all nursing minor issues.

Because of the festive break, we’re having to compile this preview some way ahead of Monday’s kick off. That’s what we know so far, but stay tuned to the club’s official channel for confirmed updates.

Match Odds

Spurs are favourites to win Monday’s game and Antonio Conte’s side are odds on in most places. Tottenham can currently be backed at 19/20 with Quinnbet while the draw is the next option at best industry odds of 31/11 with VBet. A win for Brentford completes the result betting at 14/5 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

Let’s have a quick recap on standings after the World Cup break. Spurs sit in fourth place as the league resumes, one point behind Newcastle United in third. Brentford are back in tenth with 19 points, but their fans will be quick to remind everyone that their most recent game ended in a 2-1 away win at Manchester City.

While there is some form to take into account, this weekend has a first-game feel to it. Teams are starting their campaigns all over again and this could certainly be a tight 90 minutes.

Side Markets

Harry Kane returns to Tottenham following a disappointing World Cup, but he’s been in good domestic form this season with 12 goals in 15 Premier League matches. Harry starts as favourite to open the scoring on Monday at 18/5 with Unibet.

Ivan Toney may be playing under a cloud for a few weeks. If he starts, Brentford’s main striker will be on offer at 5/1 with Unibet again in the first goalscorer market.

Other options here from within the Tottenham camp include Son Heung-Min at 11/2, Dejan Kulusevski at 19/2, Lucas Moura at 19/2 and Bryan Gil at 12/1 (All Unibet), plus Ivan Perisic at 14/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

Bryan Gil

Away from player betting, Both Teams to Score is on offer for Monday’s game at best odds of 3/4 with Betway. If you prefer the ‘no’ option on BTTS, this climbs above Even Money to 11/10 with 10Bet and Ladbrokes.

Next up is the Total Goals betting where a stake Over the 2.5 line will currently be met with best odds of 5/6 with Quinnbet and VBet. By lifting that one step higher, we can get 2/1 with BetFred and Betway.

Those who think we will be in for a quiet 90 minutes in West London can consider the Under 2.5 goals pick which is quoted for Monday at a top price of 15/14 with VBet.

We’ll pick up our reviews by closing with our regular look at some Correct Score options. A tight game might just turn into a narrow win for the favourites and a scoreline of Brentford 1 Spurs 2 can be found at 15/2 with Coral and Ladbrokes.

The same outcome in favour of Brenford is available at 12/1 with Quinnbet while the 1-1 draw can be backed at 6/1 with BetFred and Betway.

Last Season

Brentford claimed some impressive results in their first season back in the top flight and they would have been happy enough with the 0-0 draw gained against Spurs at the Vitality Stadium. The game was played on April 23rd and, it can’t have been that memorable as we can’t recall anything other than the final score.

The Bees’ Ivan Toney hit the woodwork twice while Cristian Romero was named Man of the Match, so we can’t have had our best 90 minutes of the campaign. It was, however, an important point and, while it didn’t take us back into the top four, it kept Champions League qualification on track.

Verdict

After each tournament, pundits trot out the old saying about a possible ‘World Cup hangover’ but we’ve never had to address this potential issue in the middle of a season before. It’s all very new and there is definitely something of an ‘early season’ feel to this match.

There are injuries too and neutrals would probably steer clear of predicting any Premier League games before the New Year.

Based on the comparative strengths of these two sides, we should be winning this, but we know that it’s not that straightforward. So what can we predict with even the slightest degree of certainty?

We’ll assume that it’s going to be a subdued afternoon and that one solitary goal may be enough to separate the teams. A repeat of last season’s 0-0 draw wouldn’t be ideal, but it wouldn’t be the worst way to restart either.

If we do win, who will score? Dejan Kulsevski has reportedly looked sharp while many of his teammates have been in Qatar. The Swede has some ground to make up following injuries and the absence of Richarlison will make him an almost certain starter.

If you do want to get involved with the markets, Under 2.5 Goals and Dejan Kulusevski for an anytime goal would be our suggestions. It’s good to have the Premier League back, but let’s just hope we can mark the return with three points on Monday.