James Maddison was full of admiration for Bryan Mbeumo’s lightning-quick volley, his fourth goal of the season and the second time in successive Premier League games that Brentford have scored within seconds of kick-off.
“When they score that early, there’s a bit of shellshock in the stadium,” Maddison said. “We’re all looking at each other, ‘what do we do now’, because you don’t game plan for that.”
Brentford have taken this into account. It may be a coincidence that Mbeumo hit the net after 22 seconds, just as Yoane Wissa did a week earlier in a defeat at Manchester City, but Thomas Frank sees the kick-off as a given and, at the start of a match, as an opportunity to leave opponents cold.
“Of course it’s one of the hardest to score, but we see it as a standard situation that we can set up and control as best as we can,” Frank said. “We’re working on the kickoff. Part of that is the ball forward, but also what you do on the second balls and where you position yourself after that.”
James Maddison (right) has praised Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo for a ‘fantastic’ volley attack
Mbeumo (right) scored the wonder goal that left Spurs fans and players ‘stunned’
Brentford have treated the kick-off of a match as a set time to score early goals
This one went back to goalkeeper Mark Flekken who fired the ball towards towering wing defender Kristoffer Ajer. They jumped on the scraps in midfield and passed the left ball to Keane Lewis-Potter who fired his cross through Mbeumo and into the net.
“To be fair, it was a fantastic finish from Mbeumo, it will be up there for Goal of the Month,” said Maddison, who scored Tottenham’s third in the 85th minute to complete the comeback win. Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson were also on target for Spurs