The Premier League season begins with a London derby on Saturday as Brentford welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Gtech Community Stadium, with kickoff set for 5:30pm BST and live coverage on Sky Sports.
Tottenham arrive at the fixture attempting to draw a line under back-to-back 17th-place Premier League finishes, having survived relegation only on the final day of last season. The club has invested heavily during the transfer window, spending a reported £237million on new arrivals as manager Roberto De Zerbi begins his first full season at the helm. Among the headline additions are Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, signed for a combined £185million, both of whom are in contention to make their Spurs debuts against the Bees.
However, Tottenham's preparations have been disrupted by a lengthy injury list. New club captain Micky van de Ven and vice-captain Pedro Porro will both miss out, while midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is sidelined with a hamstring problem. Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Fernandes have all returned to training and are available for selection, but Mohammed Kudus is unlikely to be risked so early in the campaign. Longer-term absentees Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski remain unavailable.
Adding to the sense of transition around the club, winger Savinho has not completed his move in time to feature, with Tottenham reportedly continuing to pursue Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush before the window closes.
Brentford, meanwhile, head into the new campaign full of confidence after an impressive first season under head coach Keith Andrews, who guided the Bees to the brink of European qualification, missing out only on goal difference. The west London side will hand a Premier League debut to club-record signing Mamadou Sangare, who joined for £41million from French side Lens and is expected to slot straight into midfield as a foil for Tottenham's revamped engine room.
Other summer recruits Jannik Schuster, Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson are all in line to feature for Brentford, giving Andrews plenty of fresh attacking options to work with. There is a fitness concern at the back, though, with defender Sepp van den Berg set to be sidelined by a groin issue; Kristoffer Ajer is expected to deputise in his absence. Midfielder Antoni Milambo continues his recovery from a knee injury and remains unavailable.
Despite Tottenham's struggles at various venues over the past two seasons, the north London club actually holds a solid historical record at the Gtech Community Stadium and against Brentford specifically. Even so, the hosts' pre-season form and attacking depth have led some observers to tip Brentford for only their second-ever Premier League victory over Spurs, with a 2-1 scoreline suggested as a plausible outcome given the Bees' sharpness in front of goal during preparation matches.
The fixture represents a significant early test for both sides: Brentford aiming to prove last season's near-miss on Europe was no fluke, and Tottenham looking to show that considerable summer investment can translate into a more stable and competitive campaign after two turbulent years fighting to retain their top-flight status.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (standard-football).