New-Look Tottenham Draw 2-2 At Brentford In Ange Postecoglou's First Premier League Game As Manager
Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur started their Premier League campaigns by sharing four goals in a pulsating London derby on Sunday.
Cristian Romero put Spurs ahead before strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa turned the game in the home team's favor.
Emerson Royal then tied the contest at 2-2 just before the half-time interval.
Both of Tottenham's goals were assisted by James Maddison as the former Leicester playmaker made an impressive debut.
Spurs, playing their first EPL game under the management of Ange Postecoglou, looked like a team transformed since last season.
Rather than sitting deep and looking to counter-attack, Postecoglou's side pressed Brentford relentlessly and attempted to dominate possession.
Emerson Royal was among the scorers as Spurs drew 2-2 at Brentford
IMAGO/Focus Images/Alan Stanford
Spurs started on the front foot and took the lead inside the opening 11 minutes.
New signing and vice-captain Maddison whipped in a wicked free-kick that was headed home by Romero.
It took the VAR nearly two minutes to confirm that Romero had been onside.
After celebrating the award of his second EPL goal, Romero was immediately substituted off amid fears he may have suffered a concussion moments earlier.
James Maddison made an impressive Premier League debut for Tottenham
IMAGO/Action Plus/John Patrick Fletcher
A VAR check then went in Brentford's favor as it found Spurs skipper Son Heung-min guilty of a foul on Mathias Jensen inside the 18-yard box.
With Ivan Toney now serving an eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules, penalty responsibilities fell to Mbeumo, who converted confidently from 12 yards.
Brentford took the lead in the 36th minute when a fine run by Rico Henry set up Wissa, whose shot would have been saved by Guglielmo Vicario had it not been for Micky van de Ven's attempted block, which deflected the ball beyond his own keeper.
The start of the game had been delayed due to sanitation issues at the Gtech Community Stadium, involving a lack of flowing water.
The end of the first half was then delayed too as 11 minutes of added time were signaled.
Four minutes into that 11, Spurs drew level at 2-2 courtesy of a 20-yard strike from Emerson Royal, who was playing as an inverted wing-back.
Tottenham's new style of play was pleasing on the eye but it appeared to take a lot out of Postecoglou's players, who tired as the game went on and were unable to find a winner in the second half.
