Tottenham Hotspur began life after Harry Kane with a 2-2 draw at Brentford, in which all of their pros and cons became apparent.
Ange Postecoglou wants his Spurs side to entertain, and they certainly did that in an expansive – and often chaotic – first half, in which all four goals came.
Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal were the unlikely Tottenham goalscorers, but Bryan Mbeumo’s penalty and a deflected effort from Yoane Wissa exposed a rocky visiting defence.
Postecoglou, in a sense, replaced Kane with three players in the short-term, with Son Heung-Min taking the captaincy, James Maddison grabbing the No.10 shirt and Richarlison selected – in this game, at least – to start up front in Kane’s position.
It was Maddison who proved a star turn on his and Postecoglou’s debut, creating a goal inside 12 minutes as Cristian Romero thumped a header home from the playmaker’s cross, and also getting the assist for Emerson Royal’s strike in first half added time.
Spurs began brightly with that Romero goal – although the defender had to be replaced straight after it, following a concussion check.
The visitors remained alarmingly open at the back and Brentford were soon level with Mbeumo’s penalty, after Son was adjudged (by VAR) to have tripped Mathias Jensen in the box. Wissa then put the Bees ahead after Emerson was too easily beaten on the Spurs right.
But the full-back made amends with a fine effort from range to make it 2-2 before half-time, a drilled effort seemingly out of nothing.
The second half was a far quieter affair, but Spurs in control, but Richarlison wasted the best chance to make it 3-2 and the points were shared.
