As some consolation, Spurs have had a very tough run of fixtures, but with 15 goals conceded in that five-game stretch, they have been left wanting at the back. The Lilywhites have remained a threat in the final third though, getting on the scoresheet against Arsenal, before putting three past PSG at the Parc-des-Princes in the Champions League, but they will have to improve defensively if results are to pick up. 

Thomas Frank will hope to break out of this winless rut against his former club, as he will face a Brentford side who have struggled on their travels. The Bees have won just one of their seven Premier League away matches this season, with multiple goals conceded in all six of their defeats. That includes a 2-0 loss against Arsenal last time out. With both sides expected to struggle defensively, goals become a target.

There were three cards shown in the game between Newcastle and Tottenham midweek, with all three awarded to the Lilywhites. That has been a trend in recent weeks, as Spurs have picked up more bookings than their opponents in six of their last seven matches across all competitions. 

In that stretch, the only game this bet didn’t land was against PSG, but that was largely because of Felix Zwayer’s leniency. Tottenham racked up 16 fouls in that match, and Lucas Bergvall was the only Spurs player to find his way into the referee’s notebook. 

This season, Spurs rank fifth for total fouls committed out of all Premier League teams, which has translated to the third-most cards. It has been a poor run of form for Thomas Frank’s men, and they have taken out that frustration on their opponents. Given that this selection landed when these sides last met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, cards are a target once again.

Last weekend, Igor Thiago bagged himself a brace to help Brentford pick up their sixth Premier League win of the season, before being withdrawn in stoppage time with an apparent injury. The Brazilian was then benched against Arsenal midweek, but Keith Andrews has brushed aside any injury doubts for the striker, suggesting the change was purely tactical. 

Thiago is expected to return to the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon, with Andrews opting for a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation which has brought about plenty of success this campaign. The 24-year-old has been in prolific form this season, and already has 11 goals to his name from just 14 league appearances. For context, only Erling Haaland has more Premier League goals this season, with 15.

Considering Thiago has scored five goals in his last three league starts alone, he will fancy his chances of causing problems against a struggling Tottenham rearguard.

Dango Ouattara has also been a key player in the final third for Brentford this season, with three goals to his name, but his contributions extend further than just going forward. Ouattara’s work-rate is particularly commendable, as the 23-year-old often looks to help out his fullback defensively. 

Ouattara is averaging 1.52 fouls per 90 this season in the league, and has already been shown three yellow cards. He looks to press his opponents strongly, and draws an excellent matchup on Saturday afternoon to improve those numbers. 

Destiny Udogie has started each of the last three league games for Spurs at left back, during which he has been fouled in all of those matches. The Italian international tends to go down quite easily under contact, and is averaging 1.73 fouls drawn per 90 this season despite his limited appearances. Even last season, Udogie had an average of 1.72 fouls drawn per 90 under Ange Postecoglou.