Brentford 3-0 Tottenham: Big-spending Spurs start new Premier League season with dismal defeat

A woeful Tottenham started their new Premier League season dismally with a 3-0 loss at Brentford despite a big summer of spending.

After avoiding relegation on the final day last season, Spurs have splashed out £237m on six signings so far this summer - but any hope of immediate change has quickly been extinguished with a shocking display in west London.

First-half goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt, followed by Michael Kayode's finish just four minutes into the second half, gave the Bees a deserved victory as Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp praised their "total football".

Spurs gave competitive debuts to five new signings, but it was Brentford's club-record signing Mamadou Sangare who stole the show as he set up the first goal and ran the game in midfield.

Roberto De Zerbi's side's miserable season opener at the Gtech Community Stadium could have been worse, only for Igor Thiago to miss a 55th-minute penalty.

Tottenham failed to have a shot on target in the first half and registered a full-time expected goals of just 0.47 compared to Brentford's 3.96, heightening the need for the potential forward arrivals of Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City.

But those two alone will not be able to fix Spurs, who put in a dreadful performance which showed why they have finished 17th in back-to-back seasons.

In fact, this was Spurs' joint-heaviest opening-day defeat of a Premier League season, leading Redknapp to label De Zerbi's new-look side as "a team of strangers".

Brentford, meanwhile, will be buoyed by their resounding win as they look to qualify for Europe this season after missing out on Conference League qualification on goal difference last campaign.

The key moments from west London

12: BRENTFORD GOAL! The home side take a deserved lead as Lewis-Potter finishes off a nice assist from club-record signing Sangare.

17: OFF THE BAR BUT OFFSIDE! Thiago nods against the crossbar, but Collins was offside in the build-up as the home side continue to dominate.

33: BRENTFORD GOAL! Richarlison and Bergvall both lose the ball, allowing Jensen to strike at goal, with his effort poorly parried out by Kinsky for Janelt to rebound home.

HALF TIME! Spurs fail to have a shot on target in a dreadful first half as Fernandes and Bentancur come on for Gallagher and Bergvall.

49: BRENTFORD GOAL! Kayode slams in Brentford's third from close range on the rebound after Sangare's sharp shot is saved.

55: THIAGO MISSES PENALTY! Bentancur fouls Schade for a penalty but Thiago misses as he hits the post.

62: KELLEHER SAVES! Moore has an effort at the back post which the Brentford goalkeeper is equal to.

Your views...

Matt: "New season, new manager, new players... same old Spurs."

Jamie K: "We saw last season with Liverpool that spending hundreds of millions doesn't guarantee good results. At this point, maybe Spurs are just cursed to forever teeter on the brink until finally, they fall..."

Josh: "I've seen so many Spurs fans talk about top four this week after the transfer window they have had. Seventeenth-place finish in the last two seasons. Need to realise a great season this season is a top-half finish."

Dazza: "Same old Tottenham. No idea up front and weak in midfield and at the back? Lots of money spent, but as far as I can see, nothing has changed."

Stevep: "New season, same old Spurs. Another season of struggle unless the new signings bed in quick."

Redknapp: Spurs looked a 'team of strangers'

Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp:

"You'd say they were a team of strangers; they didn't have that extra know-how of when (Jan Paul) Van Hecke and (Marcos) Senesi become a partnership.

"They never really won enough duels. I never really liked the look of the team when I saw the XI. I don't like (Conor) Gallagher in the 10; I wondered where the creativity was going to be.

"(Lucas) Bergvall, for whatever reason, has had a tough six or seven months. The managers who have come in haven't seemed to trust him. He lost the ball in the first few minutes and then a duel for the goal.

"He wasn't at ease with himself. That was Tottenham to a man, really though. They were never a team who were going to cause this Brentford side problems; they were just too good. Too much know-how. Everyone knew their jobs; every single set-piece was spot on.

"The hope for Tottenham is that they won't be the same side in six weeks."

De Zerbi's 'dream' starts in nightmare fashion

Sky Sports' Peter Smith:

"Roberto De Zerbi spoke about creating a 'team I have in my dream' after securing Premier League survival at the end of last season.

"Well, the new season has started in nightmare fashion for Spurs. They were as bad as they were during that relegation dogfight last year.

"But Brentford were brilliant and deserve huge praise. Bees boss Keith Andrews is working wonders in west London, with new signing Sangare looking like a superstar in the making.

"Brentford bossed this match from start to finish."

What the result means and next fixtures... Rate the players... ...