A London derby opens the Premier League season on Saturday evening as Brentford host Tottenham Hotspur at the Gtech Community Stadium, with both sides looking to build on contrasting campaigns.
Keith Andrews guided Brentford to ninth last season, matching their highest-ever Premier League finish and missing out on Europe only on goal difference. Tottenham finished 17th for the second year running, surviving relegation before Roberto De Zerbi took permanent charge following Thomas Frank’s dismissal and a brief spell under Igor Tudor.
Spurs have broken their transfer record twice this summer, and De Zerbi will want an instant return on that investment. Brentford have won just once in their last ten Premier League meetings with Tottenham, and Spurs remain unbeaten in five visits to this ground.
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news- Date: Saturday, 22 August 2026
- Kick-off: 17:30 BST
- Venue: Gtech Community Stadium
- Referee: Michael Oliver
- VAR: John Brooks
- Last meeting: Brentford 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur, 1 January 2026, Premier League
Sepp van den Berg is out with a groin problem, meaning Kristoffer Ajer partners captain Nathan Collins at centre-back. Yehor Yarmolyuk is also sidelined, while Antoni Milambo remains a game-time decision as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Otherwise Andrews has a fully fit squad. Record signing Mamadou Sangaré is expected to go straight into the midfield alongside long-serving pair Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen, with Igor Thiago — who scored 22 Premier League goals last season — leading the attack.
Tottenham HotspurMicky van de Ven is out after failing to play a single minute of pre-season, joining Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus on the sidelines. Pedro Porro, Pape Sarr and Destiny Udogie are all being carefully managed and are unlikely to be involved.
New signings Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke are set to make their competitive debuts at centre-back, with Archie Gray covering at right-back in Porro’s absence. James Maddison’s fitness to feature is unclear, with conflicting reports on his current match sharpness following a long-term injury.
FormBrentfordAndrews’s side stumbled into the summer break with just one win in their final ten league matches, but their pre-season since has been emphatic — four straight wins yielding 17 goals, including a 7–0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt in their final warm-up. The spine of the team that finished ninth remains largely intact, with Sangaré added rather than any wholesale rebuild. Brentford recorded the best shot-on-target percentage in the Premier League last season.
Tottenham HotspurDe Zerbi has spent roughly £237m since taking charge in March, headlined by the British transfer records shattered for Fernandes and Tonali within days of each other. Pre-season has been unbeaten, capped by a 3–0 win over TSG Hoffenheim, and De Zerbi will hope that form translates immediately given how damaging Spurs’s stuttering starts proved last season. Fitness across several key positions remains a work in progress, with four of the six major summer arrivals in line to start despite limited match sharpness.
Predicted lineupsBrentford predicted XI (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Sangare, Jensen; Ouattara, Thiago, Schade
Tottenham predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Senesi, Robertson; Tonali, Fernandes; Moore, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison
How to watch Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur?The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Main Event.
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