Tottenham Hotspur rallied from a two-goal second-half deficit to earn a well-deserved point at Brentford as the Premier League resumed on Boxing Day.
Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney had given the home side a well-deserved 2-0 lead, but Antonio Conte’s men proved their resilience once more to push their way back into the game.
Kane rebounds with a goal
Harry Kane put his World Cup disappointment behind him to score a brilliant 65th-minute header before Pierre Emile Hojbjerg’s flawless goal six minutes later secured the comeback.
Tottenham could have won the game had Kane not hit the post late on, while the Brentford goalkeeper did so brilliantly to deny Heung Min Son as the home side held out for an equaliser.
A fine counter-attack on the 15th saw Christian Norgaard’s volley cleverly saved by Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster, but it was Janelt who put the rebound into an empty net to give Brentford an early lead.
Toney’s goal disallowed
The locals were part of the best team and Ivan Toney had a goal disallowed for offside by VAR on 43′. The Spurs looked slow and most of their players were struggling to get a foothold in the game.
The Bees were lucky to escape a penalty in the 52nd minute when Ben Mee appeared to have rounded Kane, but the referee signaled for play on.
Two minutes later, Toney doubled the lead from three yards out after Norgaard headed in Bryan Mbeumo’s corner.
It didn’t look like Spurs’ afternoon, but Kane’s forceful header 13 minutes later reduced the visitors’ deficit.
Clement Lenglet’s curling cross from the left saw Kane rise higher to direct the ball towards goal, giving Spurs an in-game lifeline.
Six minutes later, Dejan Kulusevski slid in a cutback that bounced off Mee into the path of Hojberg, who took a bunt-in and scored to restore parity.
Harry Kane might have thought he had completed Spurs’ comeback in the 84th minute, but his header bounced off the post. Toney also had a late chance a minute later, but he fired his volley over the crossbar from 6 yards out and the match ended 2-2.
A draw seemed a fair result, but Brentford manager Thomas Frank felt his team had done enough to take three points: “Until Kane’s goal, I think there was only one team on the pitch.
They threatened when it was 2-2, but after 90 minutes I think we deserved the victory. It’s a very good performance and we’re disappointed. [not to win].”
