TOTTENHAM finally twigged that attack is the best form of defence as Thomas Frank earned sweet relief by banishing his beloved Brentford.
Xavi Simons bagged his first Spurs goal in just their second Premier League home win of the season to provide a much needed boost in North London.
Simons was restored to the side and had already set-up Richarlison’s opener before his fine solo strike offered the first clear evidence as to why Spurs shelled out £52million to bring him in from Germany.
After a bruising run of defeats to Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham, Frank can sit back with a smile off the back of Tuesday’s point at Newcastle and, at last, a home display they can be proud of.
The caveat for the Spurs boss is that this must just be the start. No Premier League side have lost more away games than Brentford this season.
This was no big scalp, but the buccaneering performance offers a template to get everyone onside.
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A visit from the club where Frank spent nine happy years was a reunion fraught with danger for the Dane, who knew he had it all to do in order to win over the skeptical Spurs support.
Without a win in five and knowing what lay ahead if his former club were to turn up and continue that run, he went on the offensive.
Simons, having been on the bench for the last four, was one of five changes, forming a more adventurous midfield alongside Archie Gray.
Spurs showed more endeavour from the off, passing short and sharp to move forwards at pace.
Though early on they still struggled to craft a chance, prompting groans from the stands when chances to shoot were turned down.
The Bees were the ones to force the first real opening, Igor Thiago breaking free and seeing his low strike tipped around the post by Guglielmo Vicario.
But a minute later Tottenham, jolted into the realisation that they actually needed to produce something, struck the opener.
A first shot on target in the first half for five games – and just look what happens when you actually have a go.
There was no sign of second-guessing or cutting back about it, Pedro Porro looping a ball down the right for Simons to chase, cushioning across to Richarlison first time for the Brazilian to tap in.
Tottenham had their tails up. Simons pumped up the fans and Randal Kolo Muani saw his close-range header flapped away by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Brentford were struggling to threaten and Spurs were keeping the pace high.
Simons had looked keen to impress from the off, sending one speculative shot slightly high and wide before nearly finding the second tier with another. An assist was not enough and soon he had more.
In tremendous fashion too.
The Dutchman looked to have got himself in a spot of bother, losing the ball cheaply in the centre-circle.
Simons snapped into one risky challenge on Mikkel Damsgaard, a sign of his desperation to leave a mark.
He got away with that one, quickly picked himself up and launched straight into another, winning the ball from Sepp van den Berg before setting off at pace.
The Bees could not keep up as he drove on, confidence rising, before finally unleashing a low strike into the far corner and dashing off to celebrate his maiden goal for the club.
It was a blessed relief for a grumpy fanbase – who applauded their players off at the break in place of the usual boos.
Smiles were wide with the tepid, tentative football of recent weeks and months feeling a mile off.
Spurs returned after the restart with the same vigour and Djed Spence came close to making it three, denied at the near post by Kelleher after robbing Nathan Collins on the edge of the box.
Kudus then won the ball himself and sent a low effort at the Bees’ goalkeeper.
Despite having their visitors on the ropes, Tottenham were typically unable to maintain complete control.
Micky van de Ven, back in the side after his hamstrings were allowed a rest at Newcastle, needed to produce a perfectly timed challenge on Thiago after the big striker was sent through by a smart Damsgaard ball.
With half-an-hour remaining and the knowledge that his side were more than capable of blowing this, Frank introduced his chief bruiser, Joao Palhinha, to help see things out.
Thiago continued to cause bother, nearly netting after a quick throw-in after some needless Mohammed Kudus juggling ended with the ball rolling out of play.
Spurs regained their composure and the ex-West Ham man thought he had capped the afternoon with a third – wheeling away with a stool in hand to begin his trademark celebration when the linesman’s flag was raised.
Kudus did get a sit down, instantly replaced by Pape Matar Sarr – who should have added a third himself.
Frank would not have been getting greedy, however. Two was enough and a vast improvement on home turf.
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