The Bees are on course for their first top-half finish in England’s highest division since before the Second World War, and much of that success is to Toney’s scoring prowess. Yet Thomas Frank will not only have to make do without the 20-goal centre-forward for the rest of this campaign, but half of the next one too.
The visit to Spurs marked the beginning of his eight-month suspension after breaking the FA’s betting rules, and it didn’t take long for the home outfit’s own talisman to remind Brentford of what a prolific marksman can do.
Much of the media focus has been on Erling Haaland’s goalscoring exploits this campaign, and rightly so, but Harry Kane’s performances, which have garnered 27 league goals of his own, have subsequently gone under the radar.
That tally is only nine behind the Norwegian superstar, and the England captain reduced the gap to eight with a stunning free-kick inside the opening ten minutes. That was exactly the start Tottenham were looking for in their bid to secure UEFA Europa League football next term, and they subsequently dominated the rest of the opening half. Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski forced David Raya into important saves, while Emerson Royal had a header cleared off the line by Rico Henry, with Mathias Jensen’s speculative effort from distance all the visitors could muster in response.
Despite Kane’s finishing, though, Tottenham have had a disappointing season and can now finish no higher than sixth. Their limitations were exposed almost immediately after the break as Brentford found an equaliser with their maiden shot on target through Bryan Mbeumo, who fired a low drive into the bottom corner. The Cameroon international will undoubtedly be tasked with taking up a large part of the goalscoring void left by Toney, and he showed he is not to be underestimated shortly after the hour mark, finding the back of the net with another pinpoint finish.
Even with Kane on the pitch, Ryan Mason’s players rarely looked like snatching a point, another poor indictment of the lack of comparable quality surrounding the day’s skipper. In the end, Frank’s outfit added a third, with Yoanne Wissa slotting beyond Fraser Forster from close range. Spurs’ hopes of continental football next term now rely on results elsewhere, but Brentford, meanwhile, can dare to dream. Perhaps there is life without Toney after all.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
