Tottenham Hotspur collected their first Premier League win of 2025, with a 2-0 victory over Brentford that showed plenty of character and desire.
A calamitous own goal from Vitaly Janelt gave Spurs a lead to protect before Pape Matar Sarr sealed the victory with a clever finish in the closing stages.
Yesterday’s success was Tottenham’s first taste of triumph in the league since thrashing struggling Southampton 5-0 back in December. Since that win on the South Coast, Ange Postecoglou’s side lost six matches and also failed to beat Wolves at home.
The positives extend beyond the three points, as they also kept their fifth clean sheet of the campaign - with four of them surprisingly coming away from N17.
It is the perfect boost for the Lilywhites ahead of the crucial second leg Carabao Cup semi-final encounter against Liverpool on Thursday.
Every single individual adorning the Tottenham jersey did the badge proud at the Gtech Community Stadium. Here’s four things we learnt from that vital win.
Ben Davies deserves a new deal
Ben Davies was instrumental in earning the clean sheet against the Bees as he commanded the entire backline, with particular guidance given to centre-half partner Archie Gray. The 18-year-old continues to play in the unfamiliar position due to the injuries to Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and most recently Radu Dragusin.
The Welshman’s bravery and durable mentality inspired his teammates around him and the Lilywhites look considerably more resolute and structurally organised with Davies on the pitch.
At full-time, the defender was seen demanding his players into a huddle. The nature of the win feels as if it could be a turning point for Tottenham’s season, especially with two pivotal cup fixtures coming up in the next week.
The most commendable aspect of Davies’ recent showings is how comfortable he has looked after a rushed return from injury. He spent five weeks on the side-lines after damaging his hamstring against Bournemouth and, due to the lack of defensive options, the 31-year-old was forced to come straight back into the side.
The former Swansea City player has been employed by Tottenham for well over a decade and this summer his contract expires. The general consensus around the fanbase is that if the club fail to offer Davies a new deal, it will be a grave mistake. His wisdom, courage and all-round professionalism warrants at least one more year spent fighting for the badge.
Silky Spence delivers again
When the going gets tough, you really get to understand who the important players are in your squad.
The unprecedented injury crisis has undeniably derailed Tottenham’s season. But the silver lining is the opportunities it has presented to players on the peripheries.
Djed Spence has emerged as one of Tottenham’s best players during the tough period, with his all-encompassing displays at either side of the full-back position.
On Sunday afternoon, the Englishman was deservedly awarded Player of the Match for reducing the talented Bryan Mbeumo to very little chances.
His athletic build allows him to shrug off opponents with ease and his technical ability enables him to make risky passes look simple. Tottenham sorely missed his presence in their humiliating 2-1 defeat to Leicester.
After another immaculate showing, Spence has made an immense claim to retain his spot in the starting berth, even when the unavailable players regain full fitness.
It seems almost inconceivable now that Spence wasn’t chosen in Tottenham’s Europa League squad back in the summer, despite being versatile, home-grown and, well, very good.
Raw Moore needs time
The teenager has been labelled as a generational talent by the Spurs fanbase due to his awe-inspiring performances in the Tottenham and England youth setups.
Now, I am not disputing the notion that Mikey Moore is destined for greatness with the winger showing several flashes to back up the claims. On Thursday, he became the youngest ever Spurs player to net in a European competition at the tender age of 17 years and 172 days old. Moore broke the 68-year record held by the legendary Jimmy Greaves with a stoppage-time strike against Elfsborg in the Europa League.
Despite the Englishman playing a demanding 95 minutes in midweek Postecoglou persisted with his trust by starting him against Brentford.
The short recovery period took a toll as it was an ineffective display from Moore, who struggled to deal with the physical demands of the contest. He was often bullied off the ball by the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins, with the latter taking a more bullish approach to the youngster. Spurs’ number 47 appealed for a penalty after Collins had pushed him inside the box, but referee Jarred Gillett deemed the contact was legal.
Postecoglou chose to bring on Lucas Bergvall at the break and Moore was the player to make way.
It proved to be the correct decision by the Australian. Not only were Tottenham more dynamic in transition with Dejan Kulusevski allowed to drift out wide, but defensively they were much more formidable. Bergvall added a certain energy that Moore didn’t seem to have, which makes complete sense considering his shift on Thursday.
Postecoglou needs to nurture Moore carefully to ensure he doesn’t expose the youngster too quickly to the harsh conditions of Premier League football. At the moment, Moore is arguably too lightweight, but a few more years of development should see him transform into one of the league’s most dangerous forwards.
Dane Scarlett could prove to be a useful option
Alongside Moore, Scarlett was another Tottenham academy graduate that propelled themselves into the hearts of the Spurs faithful during midweek.
The striker opened the scoring against Elfsborg as he stooped low to head past the Swedish outfit. His appearance for the club meant he couldn’t go back out on loan, after having a temporary spell with Oxford United in the first half of the campaign.
After gathering a multitude of experience in the lower leagues, the 20-year-old has returned as a player much more acclimatised to senior football.
The striker enjoyed a brief cameo yesterday afternoon, as he replaced the tiring Richarlison. Scarlett pressured the opposition well and brought an injection of vitality that was desperately needed.
Scarlett chasing Sepp van den Berg for the ball (PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/ Richard Heathcote)
With Dominic Solanke out injured for at least the next few weeks, Scarlett will undoubtedly be appearing more times for his boyhood club.