Both Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to build on Premier League wins last time out when they lock horns at the Brentford Community Stadium on Monday afternoon.
Brentford recorded a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in their last league fixture on November 12, while Tottenham beat Leeds United 4-3 in their last game before the season was halted for the World Cup.
Match preview
© Reuters
Brentford's win over Man City last time out was overlooked somewhat, with the focus switching to the World Cup after the last set of fixtures, but it was a remarkable result for Thomas Frank's side, who secured all the points courtesy of a 98th-minute winner from Ivan Toney.
The result moved the Bees into 10th position in the table, boasting 19 points from their opening 15 matches of the 2022-23 campaign courtesy of a record of four wins, seven draws and four defeats.
Only Newcastle United (one), Manchester City (two) and Arsenal (one) have lost fewer Premier League matches than Brentford this term, and it appears that they will once again have more than enough to avoid a relegation battle in England's top flight.
The Bees announced on Saturday that Frank had signed a new five-year contract until June 2027, and it is certainly an exciting time to be associated with the football club, as they look to be firmly heading in the right direction.
Brentford have not actually beaten Tottenham since March 1948, although the two teams have only ever met twice in the Premier League, with the points being shared in a goalless draw in their last meeting at the Brentford Community Stadium back in April.
© Reuters
Tottenham, meanwhile, were involved in a seven-goal thriller with Leeds in the Premier League before the season was halted for the World Cup.
Leeds led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Spurs managed to turn the match around, with Rodrigo Bentancur scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to secure a 4-3 victory for Antonio Conte's side.
The result left Tottenham in fourth position in the table, three points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand, and one point behind third-placed Newcastle United.
Spurs have had their problems this season but are sitting in a strong spot in the table at this stage of proceedings, and they will now be looking to win their next three in the league against Brentford, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace before welcoming Arsenal for the North London derby on January 15.
Tottenham are one of a number of sides to have had a lot of individuals away at the World Cup, but Conte will be demanding that the players involved in the competition hit the ground running on Monday afternoon.
Team News
© Reuters
Brentford boss Frank has revealed that Pontus Jansson is now available for selection after being missing since the start of October due to a hamstring problem.
However, Aaron Hickey, Thomas Strakosha and Kristoffer Ajer remain on the sidelines despite making progress in their injury recoveries.
Frank could select the same XI that took to the field for the first whistle against Man City last time out, with Toney set to feature despite being hit with a series of charges by the Football Association over alleged breaches of their betting rules.
Tottenham boss Conte, meanwhile, has already confirmed that Fraser Forster will start between the sticks against Brentford, with Hugo Lloris, who was involved in the World Cup final with France, featuring on the bench.
Ivan Perisic has returned to training and could start, but Cristian Romero, who helped Argentina win the World Cup, will not be available for this match.
Richarlison and Bentancur are also definitely out of the contest, while Ryan Sessegnon remains a doubt.
However, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min should both feature in the final third of the field for the North London club.
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Raya; Jorgensen, Pinnock, Mee; Rasmussen, Onyeka, Janelt, Jensen, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Forster; Dier, Lenglet, Davies; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
We say: Brentford 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
It is difficult to know exactly what to expect from the next set of Premier League fixtures due to the unique circumstances surrounding them. Tottenham, on paper, will fancy their chances of winning this match, but Brentford have proved difficult to beat this term, and we can see the points being shared in a low-scoring draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
