Match ends, Brentford 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2.
Brentford 2-2 Tottenham: Harry Kane scores as Spurs fight back from two goals down to draw
26 December 2022
England captain Harry Kane scored in the first Premier League match since the World Cup as Tottenham fought back from 2-0 down to draw with Brentford.
The Bees were on course for their first win over Spurs since 1948 after goals from Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney, before Spurs netted twice within six minutes.
Kane, who scored one penalty and missed another in England's 2-1 quarter-final loss to France, pulled one back in the 65th minute with an excellent header from Clement Lenglet's cross.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made it 2-2 with a curling finish - and neither side was able to find a winner, with Kane heading a chance against the crossbar.
The hosts had taken a 15th-minute lead through Janelt's close-range effort after goalkeeper Fraser Forster, in his first league start for Spurs, could only block the ball into his path following Mathias Jensen's volley.
Brentford doubled their advantage as Toney grabbed his 11th league goal of the season, reacting quickest to tap in after Christian Norgaard had headed on a corner, but it was not enough.
Toney, 26, was appearing in his first game since being charged by the Football Association with 262 alleged betting breaches. He has until 4 January to respond to the charges.
The result leaves Spurs fourth in the table while Brentford are ninth before the 15:00 GMT kick-offs.
Frank's Bees almost create another 'magic moment'
In the first Premier League game since the World Cup final in Qatar eight days ago, both sides produced a thrilling encounter in west London.
Tottenham had a late chance to win it but Kane failed to connect with an acrobatic volley, while Brentford wanted a penalty when Bryan Mbeumo fell under a challenge from Forster, but there was clearly no contact with the Bees man booked for simulation.
On Christmas Eve it was announced that Brentford manager Thomas Frank had agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract, which keeps him at the club until 2027.
He had said he was looking forward to "creating more magic moments" and this was almost another special afternoon for the Bees in a campaign that has already seen them beat Manchester United 4-0 and win at champions Manchester City 2-1 last time out.
The Bees now have 20 points from 16 matches and are on course to beat the 13th-placed finish they managed last season - their highest position since coming sixth in the old First Division back in 1937-38.

They led when Mbeumo crossed to Jensen and his volley took a deflection with Forster only able to divert it to Janelt who put it in with his thigh.
Toney, who had scored twice against Manchester City including a winner in the 98th minute, got his goal after Eric Dier had needlessly conceded a corner with a sliced clearance.
Spurs had fought back from 3-1 down to beat Leeds 4-3 in their previous match, but they offered little in the first half with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya comfortably saving efforts from Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min, and Kane having a free-kick directed over.
Kane gave Spurs a lifeline when he rose above marker Ben Mee and headed in Lenglet's cross. The visitors fought back to earn a draw, but did miss the chance to move level on points with second-placed Manchester City.
Player of the match
ToneyIvan Toney
with an average of 6.82
Brentford
Squad number17Player nameToney
Average rating6.82
Squad number27Player nameJanelt
Average rating6.47
Squad number8Player nameJensen
Average rating6.37
Squad number6Player nameNørgaard
Average rating6.36
Squad number13Player nameM Jorgensen
Average rating6.33
Squad number1Player nameRaya
Average rating6.29
Squad number5Player namePinnock
Average rating6.20
Squad number3Player nameHenry
Average rating6.17
Squad number16Player nameMee
Average rating6.13
Squad number19Player nameMbeumo
Average rating6.08
Squad number30Player nameRoerslev
Average rating6.02
Squad number11Player nameWissa
Average rating5.80
Squad number14Player nameGhoddos
Average rating5.71
Squad number10Player nameDasilva
Average rating5.69
Tottenham Hotspur
Squad number21Player nameKulusevski
Average rating6.48
Squad number14Player namePerisic
Average rating6.42
Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
Average rating6.32
Squad number10Player nameKane
Average rating6.19
Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-min
Average rating5.92
Squad number2Player nameDoherty
Average rating5.70
Squad number34Player nameLenglet
Average rating5.50
Squad number20Player nameForster
Average rating5.33
Squad number6Player nameD Sánchez
Average rating5.31
Squad number33Player nameDavies
Average rating5.26
Squad number38Player nameBissouma
Average rating5.17
Squad number15Player nameDier
Average rating4.63
Squad number25Player nameTanganga
Average rating4.58
Line-ups
Brentford
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Raya
- 13M Jorgensen
- 5Pinnock
- 16Mee
- 30Roerslev
- 8JensenBooked at 59minsSubstituted forGhoddosat 67'minutes
- 6NørgaardSubstituted forDasilvaat 82'minutes
- 27Janelt
- 3Henry
- 19MbeumoBooked at 76minsSubstituted forWissaat 82'minutes
- 17ToneyBooked at 63mins
Substitutes
- 4Goode
- 7Canós
- 10Dasilva
- 11Wissa
- 14Ghoddos
- 18Jansson
- 23Lewis-Potter
- 24Damsgaard
- 34Cox
Tottenham
Formation 3-4-3
- 20Forster
- 25TangangaSubstituted forD Sánchezat 67'minutes
- 15Dier
- 34LengletSubstituted forDaviesat 90+5'minutes
- 2Doherty
- 38BissoumaBooked at 60mins
- 5Højbjerg
- 14Perisic
- 21Kulusevski
- 10Kane
- 7Son Heung-min
Substitutes
- 1Lloris
- 4Skipp
- 6D Sánchez
- 11Gil
- 12Emerson Royal
- 19R Sessegnon
- 29Sarr
- 33Davies
- 42White
- Referee:
- David Coote
Match Stats
Live Text
Post update
Second Half ends, Brentford 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2.
This news item was provided by the BBC Sport - Football website - the original link is: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64022707?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA