Tottenham and Brentford shared a goalless Premier League draw at Gtech Community Stadium, where strong defending, limited creativity and a lack of clear chances defined Thomas Frank’s return. Both teams cancelled each other out, with Richarlison’s late effort and Brentford’s early disallowed goal standing out.
Frank praised the occasion on an emotional personal return, yet highlighted Tottenham’s attacking issues. Brentford manager Keith Andrews felt the hosts had done enough to win, as Brentford extended an unbeaten league run but again struggled to convert pressure into goals.
The match almost started perfectly for Brentford when Kevin Schade scored in the fifth minute, only for an offside call to rule it out. Further first-half openings went
to Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Igor Thiago, but none produced a breakthrough against Tottenham’s organised back line.
Richarlison had Tottenham’s clearest chance late on, yet the effort lacked power and failed to beat the Brentford goalkeeper. Across the 90 minutes, the contest offered few moments to lift the home crowd, with both sides struggling to create clear scoring situations despite promising attacking positions.
This fixture became only the fourth Premier League game of the season without a single big chance created. The others were Liverpool against Arsenal in August, Bournemouth versus Newcastle United in September, and Bournemouth versus Nottingham Forest in October. It underlined how cautious and controlled this meeting remained.
Brentford finished with seven attempts and an expected goals (xG) total of 0.83, yet tested Guglielmo Vicario only twice. Tottenham also found clear openings limited, with Brentford’s defensive shape restricting space around the penalty area and forcing longer spells of patient, sideways passing.
Brentford vs Tottenham Premier League clash leaves Frank frustrated by creativity
Frank admitted the occasion felt special but stressed that Tottenham’s attacking output fell short of expectations. "It was very nice and very special in many, many ways. Very happy with that," Frank said about the reception on returning to Gtech Community Stadium.
Frank then explained the shift once the match began. "It was nice to be back and nice to acknowledge things both ways, and then the whistle goes, and it's business, and you want to win the game. " For Frank, sentiment quickly gave way to concern about Tottenham’s final-third sharpness.
The Tottenham manager highlighted how Brentford were strong at home yet felt one half of the task was met. "However, we don't create enough. I think we dealt with half of the challenge here because they are very strong at home. They only gave seven shots away in the whole game, so we were very happy with that, but we didn't create enough. The amount of unforced errors today was too big. "
Brentford vs Tottenham Premier League draw shaped by Brennan Johnson transfer situation
One notable absentee from the Tottenham matchday squad was Brennan Johnson, whose creativity could have helped. The Wales international was left out because Johnson was reportedly close to joining Crystal Palace, with a deal worth around £35m said to be progressing with Oliver Glasner’s team.
Johnson played 107 matches in all competitions for Tottenham, scoring 27 goals and providing 14 assists. Those goals included the winner in a Europa League final. Asked about the situation, Frank said: "Obviously, there is probably something close, but that is it. "
Brentford vs Tottenham Premier League result extends Bees’ unbeaten run
For Brentford, the draw stretched Keith Andrews’ team’s unbeaten league run to four matches, although frustration remained. The match became their 12th goalless draw in the Premier League since promotion in 2021. Only Crystal Palace, with 17, Everton, with 14, and Brighton, with 13, had more over that period.
Brentford’s recent London derby form continued to concern Andrews. The team had now failed to score in four successive Premier League London derbies, with one draw and three defeats in that run. Brentford had won just one of their last 10 such fixtures, drawing four and losing five, that victory being a 2-0 win at West Ham last October.
Brentford vs Tottenham Premier League perspectives from Andrews and Frank
Andrews felt Brentford had done enough to secure all three points and close on Chelsea. A victory would have moved Brentford within one point of fifth place, and Andrews believed the performance justified more than a single point from this tight contest against Tottenham.
Andrews spoke warmly about Frank while stressing Brentford’s improvement from recent meetings. "Lovely to see Thomas [Frank], as always. [He's] somebody who I respect hugely. I enjoyed working with him last season," Andrews said. Andrews then discussed how Brentford’s display differed from previous defeats to Tottenham.
"I thought we edged it, and if anybody was going to win the game, it was probably us. They beat us twice last season; they deserved to beat us 26 days ago at Spurs. Today was a completely different performance. We wanted it quick in the tempo in the second half, and they tried to slow it down. Thomas is very aware of what this home crowd can do and how dangerous we can be. Their goalkeeper got booked for time-wasting, which pretty much says it all. "
The draw left both Brentford and Tottenham reflecting on missed opportunities and attacking shortcomings in a controlled match. Defensively, Tottenham limited Brentford’s shooting volume, while Brentford again showed discipline at home. Yet the lack of creativity and too many unforced errors meant a game with important implications finished without a decisive moment.
