Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League campaign began disastrously as Roberto De Zerbi’s side suffered a 3–0 defeat away to Brentford. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara described the performance as nowhere near good enough, criticizing Tottenham’s lack of fight and questioning the manager’s tactical decisions. Despite summer spending that could surpass £300 million, Spurs displayed many of the same weaknesses that have troubled them in recent seasons.

O’Hara was particularly critical of Lucas Bergvall’s selection in central midfield and the decision to start Mikey Moore in such an intense opening fixture. Both players were substituted at halftime as De Zerbi introduced Rodrigo Bentancur and Mateus Fernandes, but Brentford had already established a commanding advantage.

Richarlison also came under scrutiny after another ineffective attacking display. He was replaced by Dominic Solanke in the second half, while James Maddison was introduced for Moore. Tottenham failed to register a first-half shot on target and struggled to create clear chances throughout the match.

Brentford took the lead through Keane Lewis-Potter after 12 minutes, with new signing Mamadou Sangaré playing an important role in the move. Vitaly Janelt doubled the hosts’ advantage before halftime, and Michael Kayode added a third shortly after the interval. Brentford also missed a penalty.

De Zerbi admitted that Tottenham were not ready to fight and described the team as undercooked and not yet fully formed. O’Hara agreed that the manager’s selection had been questionable but insisted that the players must also accept responsibility for their lack of intensity and competitiveness.

The defeat was an early warning for Tottenham. New signings may improve the squad, but the team must quickly develop greater organization, resilience and fighting spirit if Spurs are to avoid another disappointing season.