Chris Sutton has logged his prediction for Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Brentford and he has listed two reasons for the hosts to be concerned.
It is a well-known fact by now that Tottenham Hotspur have the second-worst home record in the Premier League this season. Spurs were most recently beaten at their own ground by Fulham, in a third London derby defeat of the season.
Tottenham are generally in poor form anyway, having recently suffered away defeats to Arsenal and PSG. They would have faced the same fate against Newcastle on Tuesday, had it not been for the heroics of Cristian Romero.
One positive for Spurs is that Brentford have the fourth-worst away record in the league, picking up three points from seven matches. However, Fulham had a worse record ahead of their visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet still walked away with all three points.
Chris Sutton believes Tottenham have two big problems
Ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes Thomas Frank needs a big result against Brentford. However, he has little confidence in their attack, especially since a centre-back was required to bail them out against Newcastle.
Sutton has also raised concerns about what the environment will be like inside Tottenham’s stadium, with the fans loudly voicing their disapproval last weekend.
Making his prediction for Brentford’s visit, he told BBC Sport: “Brentford were competitive against Arsenal on Wednesday but they have now lost six of their seven away games this season.
“That should be good news for Spurs, but right now it is impossible to back them at home. They don’t seem to have a functioning front line at the moment, which is why they needed Cristian Romero to pop up at Newcastle with a couple of goals.
“Things are not right on the pitch and, off it, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not a happy place either – the fans are making their feelings pretty clear. So, wouldn’t it be typical for Thomas Frank’s former team to go there and nick a result?
“It could end up being a war of attrition, because Bees boss Keith Andrews will try to play on the break and I can see his side getting something.
“It feels like Frank doesn’t just need a win, he needs a kind of statement win and performance, to convince the Spurs fans. That’s unfair because he needs time, but that’s something Premier League managers don’t get.”
Sutton’s prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Brentford
Thomas Frank simply has to deliver a Spurs victory
Tottenham cannot continue failing to pick up three points; otherwise the decision will have to be made to send Frank packing. Recent results have been unacceptable, even for a new manager still finding his way at the club.
Brentford are not a bad team, but they are not a team that should be taking points from Spurs at their own stadium. If Frank cannot get a win tomorrow, it is difficult to see how he can continue to be trusted with his role.
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