Tottenham v Brentford predictions: Tight battle likely in all-London clash

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford in the Premier League on Thursday.

Where to watch

Amazon Prime, 7.30pm, Thursday

Best bet

Under 2.5 goals
1pt 20-21 BoyleSports

Team news

Tottenham
Defender Cristian Romero is out with a hamstring injury and Giovani Lo Celso is doubtful.

Brentford
Rico Henry, Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard face late fitness tests, while David Raya, Kristoffer Ayer and Josh DaSilva are all ruled out.

Match preview

New Tottenham boss Antonio Conte said he is now fully aware of the task he faces at the club following their dismal 2-1 defeat to Mura in the Europa Conference League last week.

Spurs were limp in Slovenia, falling to a last-gasp goal, and they were not even able to get the game out of their system after their subsequent Premier League clash at Burnley was wiped out by snow.

Attitudes came under discussion and there was a distinct lack of urgency in that performance, but that has been symbolic of their showing for much of the campaign and they are failing to create meaningful chances.

A tally of 11 goals from 12 Premier League matches is pretty woeful, and while their last four league home games have featured more than two goals, their clash against Brentford on Thursday may not follow that pattern.

The Bees announced themselves back in the top flight for the first time in 74 years when winning 2-0 at home to Arsenal on the first day of the season, but they have been feeling their way back in lately.

They lost four games on the bounce and it is difficult to gauge the extent of their recovery after a 3-3 draw at struggling Newcastle and Ivan Toney's penalty strike in a 1-0 victory over out-of-sorts Everton on Sunday.

With wins at Wolves and West Ham already chalked up, Thomas Frank's team deserve to be respected and it is worth noting that they have the fifth-best expected-goals-against figure in the league.

That suggests chances could be at a premium for Tottenham and a series of injury issues for the visitors means they may be looking at keeping their opponents at arm's length as their main priority.

The loss of Cristian Romero from the heart of the Spurs defence is a concern for Conte as Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez at the back do little to inspire confidence.

But there is scope for this to turn into a midfield battle and it would not be a surprise if goals come at a premium.

Key stat

Tottenham have not drawn any of their last 16 Premier League home games.

Inside info

Tottenham

Penalty taker Harry Kane
Free-kick wizard Harry Kane
Set-piece aerial threat Eric Dier
Card magnet Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg

Brentford

Penalty taker Ivan Toney
Free-kick wizardBryan Mbeumo
Set-piece aerial threatIvan Toney
Card magnetChristian Norgaard

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport