Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview and Team News

A narrative-rich London derby takes centre stage on New Year’s Day as Thomas Frank returns to Brentford for the first time since his departure.

However, this time he leads Tottenham Hotspur against his former employers. The Dane oversaw 278 league games for the Bees between 2018 and 2025. Therefore, this homecoming serves as a massive emotional milestone for both the manager and the fans. Frank faces a Brentford side that has defied many relegation predictions this season.

Keith Andrews’ men are currently mounting a genuine European charge. Consequently, they sit eighth in the Premier League table, one point ahead of Spurs. Meanwhile, Tottenham arrive buoyed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Teenager Archie Gray secured that win with his first professional senior goal. Despite this victory, Spurs remain 13th and must overcome a wretched historical record in January.

Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match Preview and Team News

Date: Thursday, 1 January 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London
Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Alex Chilowicz
Last Meeting: Tottenham 2–0 Brentford, 6 December 2025

Team News

Brentford

Keith Andrews is currently sweating on the fitness of top scorer Igor Thiago. The forward has netted 11 goals this season but has played through significant pain recently. Additionally, defender Sepp van den Berg will undergo a late assessment. He missed the recent 4-1 thrashing of Bournemouth with a knock. Long-term absentees Josh Dasilva, Fábio Carvalho, and Antoni Milambo remain out with ACL injuries. Furthermore, Frank Onyeka and Dango Ouattara are representing their nations at AFCON.

Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank manages a small doubt over young midfielder Lucas Bergvall. However, the Swede is expected to feature after being forced off against Palace. Captain Cristian Romero returns from a one-match ban, which provides a massive defensive boost. In contrast, Xavi Simons remains suspended following his red card against Liverpool. The injury list is extensive with Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Destiny Udogie all ruled out. Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are also away on AFCON duty.

Form

Brentford

The Bees have transformed their home ground into a genuine fortress. They have won eight of their last 12 home league games. Only Man City, Aston Villa, and Arsenal have recorded more home wins since April. Kevin Schade enters this game with immense confidence. He recently became the first German player to score multiple Premier League hat-tricks after his treble against Bournemouth.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have struggled significantly in the opening month of the calendar year. They lost all four Premier League matches in January last season. Furthermore, they have lost 10 of their last 16 games played in January. However, Tottenham have played eight New Year’s Day London derbies and lost only once. This record includes a famous 5-3 victory over Chelsea in 2015.