Brentford 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Thomas Frank frustrated on return as creative crisis deepens

Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles for fluency showed little sign of easing as they played out a drab goalless draw with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium tonight.

Thomas Frank was afforded a warm reception on his return to his former club, yet sentiment quickly gave way to a contest short on quality, urgency and attacking invention.

Brentford thought they had taken an early lead when Kevin Schade turned in from close range inside the opening five minutes, but the effort was swiftly ruled out for offside.

That proved to be one of the few moments of jeopardy in a first half defined by misplaced passes and cautious build-up play.

The hosts were marginally more assertive, pressing Spurs into errors and enjoying more sustained spells of possession without seriously troubling Guglielmo Vicario.

Keane Lewis-Potter and Igor Thiago both found space in promising areas, but neither was able to apply the finish required to give Brentford a deserved lead.

Tottenham offered little in response, with their forward line isolated and their midfield unable to supply any meaningful creativity.

Archie Gray came closest for the visitors before the break, but Nathan Collins blocked his close-range header after a rare moment of penetration.

Richarlison followed up with a tame effort that was comfortably dealt with, summing up a subdued attacking display from Spurs.

The pattern remained largely unchanged after the restart, with Brentford continuing to dictate territory and Tottenham struggling to impose themselves.

Vitaly Janelt forced Vicario into a routine save with a header, while Lewis-Potter miscued badly when well placed from a low cross.

Thiago later blazed over from close range, extending his recent run without a goal as Brentford failed to capitalise on their control.

Spurs never looked likely to snatch the initiative, with their pressing disjointed and their passing lacking conviction in the final third.

Frustration grew among the travelling support as the match drifted towards a goalless conclusion, with little sign of late drama.

The final whistle was met with audible dissatisfaction from Spurs supporters, reflecting a performance that raised more questions than answers.

The draw leaves Tottenham languishing in the bottom half of the table and still searching for consistency as the season progresses.

Brentford remain difficult to beat at home but will rue another missed opportunity to turn control into three points.