E be like say plenty money no fit buy heart for football. Tottenham Hotspur don spend millions dis summer for new players, but for dia first Premier League match of di season, Brentford dash dem 3-0 for Gtech Community Stadium.
Na only 12 minutes before di home side begin. Mamadou Sangare, wey cost just £41m, tear di Spurs defence wit one-two, im cut di ball back, and Keane Lewis-Potter score. Vitaly Janelt bin add di second before half-time, and Michael Kayode finish di matter for di second half.
Di match show say big price tag no mean say person go perform. Sandro Tonali, wey arrive from Newcastle United for £100m, no fit show im value. Instead, na Sangare wey be di game’s best player. De Zerbi and im chairman don plan to spend almost £400m on new faces, but di result show say di old problem still dey: no mental strength.
Four new signings start di match: Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Tonali. Archie Gray become di youngest Spurs captain since Steve Perryman for di 1970s. But di new back four no settle. Robertson almost score own goal for di opening seconds. Nathan Collins bin don miss one clear chance from six yards. Dango Ouattara also go through but Antonín Kinsky save am.
Di pressure bin tell for di 33rd minute. Kinsky only parry Mathias Jensen shot from di edge of di box, and Janelt dey dia to tap in di rebound. Tonali get one chance wey im shank well over di bar. Di fans begin dey sing, ‘Thomas Frank, he’s laughing at you,’ – a reference to one of di coaches wey don try before De Zerbi.
After half-time, Mateus Fernandes come in, but di story no change. Collins head one corner down, Sangare snap shot, Kinsky beat am away, and Kayode dey dia to lash in di loose ball. E for don worse when Rodrigo Bentancur foul Kevin Schade for di box, but Igor Thiago roll im penalty against di post. For di bright side, Mikey Moore, di 19-year-old homegrown winger, try im best with two shots, but Caoimhín Kelleher save am.
Many Spurs fans don already leave di stadium before di match end. Some bin vacate as early as di 49th minute, when Kayode score di third. Even rock star Jon Bon Jovi wey come watch di game for Gtech Community Stadium get enough material for sad song.
De Zerbi talk for BBC Sport say: ‘Bad game. We lost and suffered di difference in di duels. E be di key of dis game. We no fight in di right way.’ Im also point out say many players no dey physically ready because of World Cup and new signings. But im no wan use dat as excuse: ‘We can’t find an excuse. I am sorry for di result and performance.’
De Zerbi add: ‘I don’t want di excuse say di first XI no be enough to compete and get result. Brentford spirit on di pitch was great, e get to be di right example for us.’
