It won’t be easy from the opening whistle.
Tottenham Hotspur will face Brentford in the opening match of the 2023-24 English Premier League (EPL) first round at the GTEK Community Stadium in London, England, on March 13 at 10 p.m. ET. Last season, Tottenham finished eighth and Brentford ninth.
Last season was the worst for Tottenham. The wingless fall at the end of the season proved fatal, with Antonio Conte and Christian Stellini sacked in quick succession and Ryan Mason, the fireman of choice, unable to turn things around.
After falling out of the top four, Tottenham finished the league in eighth place. They missed out on Europa League (UEL) and Europa Conference (UECL) tickets, let alone the UEFA Champions League (UCL). All of their recent big investments had come to naught.
President Daniel Levy announced the appointment of Enze Postecoglou as the next head coach. After a ‘double’ in 2021-22 (league, Scottish League Cup) and a ‘dominant treble’ in 2022-23 (league, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup), there are high expectations.
The team is also looking to strengthen. First, Guglielmo Vicario (formerly of Empoli) has joined the team to replace Hugo Llorez. James Maddison (formerly of Leicester) was also brought in to strengthen the second line. We’ve also brought in Manor Solomon (formerly of Fulham) to diversify our attacking options.
The same cannot be said for the defense. First, we invested in the future by bringing in promising youngster Ashley Phillips (formerly of Blackburn). Now, we’re on the verge of adding Micky van der Penn (formerly of Wolfsburg), who has made a name for himself in the German Bundesliga. Having already made the official announcement in person at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during a pre-season friendly against Shakhtar, van der Vaart has made an immediate impact and will partner Romero in the center back line.
Tottenham begin the 2023-24 season. Their first opponent is Brentford. They’ve been a perennial dark horse under Thomas Frank and finished in a similar position last season. It’s a matchup you can’t afford to take lightly, especially in an opening game with so many variables.
Just in time for the start of the season, match predictions are back. Chris Sutton, the BBC pundit who went viral for his accuracy during last year’s World Cup, has picked the first round matches. 먹튀검증
Sutton picked Brentford to win. “What’s happening at Tottenham is difficult enough for Postecoglou. There could be a turbulent few weeks after kick-off, but I think the Spurs fans will love Postecoglou in the end,” he concluded. Commenting on the situation surrounding Harry Kane, who is close to a move to Bayern Munich.
“Brentford is a difficult opponent and if you’re not properly prepared, you’re in trouble. Even without Ivan Toney, they are dangerous. Brentford have not lost in their opening games of the last two seasons (2-0 win at Arsenal in 2021-22 and 2-2 draw at Leicester City in 2022-23) and I don’t think it will be the same this time around.