Spurs v Brentford - history, facts and stats

Tonight, we face one of the biggest games of our season so far as we take on Brentford in the Carabao Cup semi-final (7.45pm kick-off).

Ahead of the clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we take a look at the history of the fixture, some of its recent key moments, the statistics behind both sides’ seasons so far, as well as the pre-match view from our opposition.

History

At this stage of the competition, Jose Mourinho holds a 100 per cent record in the League Cup. Whenever Jose has led a team to the semi-final stage of the tournament, he has always ended up victorious. He has been here on four previous occasions, and has gone on to triumph in the final each time (Chelsea 2005, 2007 and 2015; Manchester United 2017).

However, this year's semi-final will provide a slightly different test to what our Head Coach has previously faced. In a small change to the League Cup’s usual format, tonight's final four encounter will be a single-legged tie, opposed to the traditional two, meaning a finalist for this season's showpiece will be decided this evening.

Tonight will be the 16th League Cup semi-final in our history - a stage we have progressed past in eight of our 15 attempts (53 per cent) so far, including on all three occasions in which we have faced lower league opposition. The most recent of which came in 2015 when we defeated Sheffield United over two legs. Hosting the Blades at White Hart Lane in the first leg, we took a slender advantage into the reverse fixture in south Yorkshire thanks to an Andros Townsend penalty.

Then, amidst a barrage of snow and sleet in the second leg at Bramall Lane, we managed to double that lead just before the half-hour mark through a stunning Christian Eriksen free-kick. However, United fought back and managed to level the tie in dramatic fashion as teenager Che Adams scored twice in two minutes late in the second half. Yet, with, just two minutes to spare, we found a winner through Eriksen to book our place at Wembley. In the final though, we fell to a 2-0 defeat against a Jose Mourinho led Chelsea.

This evening, like in 2015, we will once again face lower league opposition in the competition's semi-final as it is Championship side Brentford who make the trip across the capital to N17. It has been over two decades since we last met the Bees in a competitive game with the most recent encounter between the two sides coming in this competition back in September, 2000.

Meeting in the second round of the League Cup, which at the time was a two-legged stage of the tournament, we drew the first-leg at Brentford's then home of Griffin Park 0-0. However, in the return leg at White Hart lane, goals from Oyvind Leonhardsen and Steffen Iversen saw us progress to the next round with a 2-0 win. In fact, each of our last six meetings with the Bees have all come in the League Cup and we have progressed on each occasion. We are also unbeaten against Brentford in all competitions since March, 1948 while, in their 131-year history, the west London side have never won a competitive game in N17.

In terms of non-competitive encounters with Brentford, it has only been two and a half years since we last faced them. In July, 2018, prior to our pre-season tour of the USA, we welcomed the Bees to Hotspur Way for a behind-closed-doors friendly. At the time, current Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was assistant to then Bees manager Dean Smith (now of Aston Villa) however, with half of their squad playing against Shrewsbury in another friendly on the same day, it was Frank who was in charge of their side for the match at our Enfield training centre.

Despite being without many of our first team regulars for the game, as several had just finished their 2017/18 season a week prior having competed for their respective nations in the 2018 World Cup Finals, we were still able to put a strong side against the Bees and one that included current members of our first team squad such as Paulo Gazzaniga, Ben Davies, Serge Aurier, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son. Brentford, meanwhile, had now-Premier League players Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Said Benrahma (West Ham United) and Neal Maupay (Brighton & Hove Albion) amongst their ranks.

In what was a tightly-fought contest against the Bees, Fernando Llorente opened the scoring for us just before the break, but the visitors levelled soon after the interval via Maupay. Yet, despite it being just our second pre-season outing, we would show our quality and find a late, late winner through Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

Last five meetings

26 September, 2000 - Spurs 2-0 Brentford - League Cup second round, second leg
19 September, 2000 - Brentford 0-0 Spurs - League Cup second round, first leg
23 September, 1998 - Spurs 3-2 Brentford - League Cup second round, second leg
15 September, 1998 - Brentford 2-3 Spurs - League Cup second round, first leg
7 October, 1992 - Brentford 2-4 Spurs - League Cup second round, second leg

‘Biggest game yet? Yes, I think so’

Brentford are certainly not a team to be taken lightly. Despite having been in League One just over six years ago, the Bees have continually progressed since then - just last season, they came agonisingly close to making the step up into the Premier League only to fall at the last hurdle with defeat in the Championship Play-off Final against Fulham.

This term, they are once again in the mix for promotion as they currently sit fourth in the second tier, just two points off the automatic promotion places. Their recent form in all competitions indicates just how strong an outfit they are as they are without defeat in any of their last 16 outings - their last defeat being a 3-2 reverse away to Stoke City on 24 October. In that unbeaten run of 16 matches, they have won nine games and drawn the remaining seven - a period that includes their Carabao Cup quarter-final 1-0 win over Newcastle United which booked their place in the final four.

That was their fifth game in the competition so far this campaign and the fourth time they had faced Premier League opponents having already dispatched Southampton, West Brom and Fulham. But Brentford's run in the tournament as well as their strong recent form does not surprise our Head Coach Jose Mourinho. He knows just how strong sides can be right across the English football pyramid.

“Teams in the Championship would go to any league in the world and be a Premier League team in every country... high quality of coaches, of players, of organisations, the level of the clubs, amazing," Jose explained. "Brentford is a very good team with lots of good players, a great coach (Thomas Frank) and philosophy, who knows what he wants.

“It’s a big match for us. If the final was in February it would be an even bigger motivation for the boys, but to play a semi-final at home with the chance to put it in the pocket and wait for that final until 25 April, it would be magnificent for us. It’s an opportunity that we have to realise we cannot lose, it’s one match at home and we have to win it.”

Meanwhile, we returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as we put three past Leeds United to move back into the top four. Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 29 minutes, Heung-Min Son then doubled our lead with his 100th Spurs goal 14 minutes later before Toby Alderweireld sealed the win over the Whites with a header just five minutes into the second period.

It was a much-needed start for us to the new year after a stuttering end to 2020 but it could be made a superb opening to 2021 for us if we can book a place in the League Cup Final with victory tonight. As previously mentioned, it would be Jose’s fifth final in the competition, and he would be looking to continue his impressive record of having won each League Cup Final he has been involved in. It would also be the 21st major honour of his managerial career.

“I have studied football for many years and Jose is one of the greatest of all time so it’s a privilege to play against his team,” Brentford boss Thomas Frank admitted as he discussed our Head Coach's journey in the game to date. “I admire him a lot for having that fantastic career. But when the whistle blows it’s just another bloke standing in the dug-out."