Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa both scored as Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur traded four goals on an entertaining Sunday afternoon in west London.

The goals all came in the first half with Ange Postecoglu’s Tottenham taking an early lead through Cristian Romero. Brentford hit back thanks to Mbeumo’s cool penalty and Wissa’s deflected shot to hold the advantage heading into 11 minutes stoppage-time.

They couldn’t, however, get through to half-time in front, Emerson Royal firing home from the edge of the box to bring the scores level.

The second half didn’t quite live up to the first in terms of goalmouth action but the chances which did come fell mainly to Spurs.

On his home debut, Mark Flekken made a pair of fine saves to keep out Heung-min Son and Richarlison to extend Brentford’s unbeaten streak on the opening day of the Premier League season to three games.

Flekken and Collins make first competitive starts

Thomas Frank handed debuts to Flekken and Nathan Collins.

Ben Mee missed out with a minor injury meaning Collins partnered Ethan Pinnock and Kristoffer Ajer in a back three.

New captain Christian Norgaard started in the heart of midfield despite a disrupted pre-season, along with Mathias Jensen and Vitaly Janelt, behind the front two of Wissa and Mbeumo.

New Tottenham boss Postecoglou called upon a quartet of summer arrivals. Guglielmo Vicario started in goal with Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven making first competitive appearances in the backline.

James Maddison also made his Spurs bow in behind a front three of Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison as Spurs began life without Harry Kane at Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford: Flekken; Collins, Pinnock, Ajer (Zanka 84); Hickey (Roerslev 72), Norgaard (Baptiste 72), Janelt, Jensen (Damsgaard 49), Henry; Wissa (Schade 72), Mbeumo

Subs not used: Strakosha, Dasilva, Lewis-Potter, Yarmoliuk

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario; Royal, Romero (Sanchez 14), van de Ven, Udogie; Skipp (Sarr 74), Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son (Perisic 74), Richarlison

Subs not used: Austin, Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Porro, Solomon, Sarr, Davies

Attendance: 17,066

Four goals shared during breathless first half

The game was played at a fierce tempo from the off. Postecoglu’s brand of attacking, possession-based football was immediately evident; Brentford looked to counter that with a high press that gave the away side next to no rest in possession.

When Tottenham were able to get through the press, they created chances. Richarlison just failed to collect Maddison’s through ball and Kristoffer Ajer blocked well as Kulusevski cut inside to shoot but Spurs were not to be denied next time they were given a sight of Flekken’s goal.

After he was fouled by Jensen on the left-angle of the penalty area, Maddison whipped in a teasing free-kick which Christian Romero powered home. Brentford appealed for an offside but VAR did not come to their aid, with the Argentine defender onside by the merest of margins.

Romero was substituted immediately after the goal, clearly still feeling the effects of an earlier clash of heads with Mbeumo.

Brentford’s response to falling behind was excellent.

Mbeumo had a shot beaten away by Vicario at the end of a quick break, Aaron Hickey’s effort from the edge of the box was deflected wide, and Wissa’s overhead kick landed in the arms of the Tottenham keeper before Frank’s side did get back to parity.

Initially, Robert Jones waved away appeals for a penalty as Jensen turned inside Son in the area but, having been called to the VAR monitor, he changed his mind, seeing clear contact between the South Korean’s foot and Jensen’s.

Mbeumo stepped up and calmly slotted to Vicario’s right, opening Brentford’s 2023/24 account.

The momentum was with Brentford. Only a last-ditch block from Davinson Sanchez prevented Wissa sliding Brentford into the lead but the Bees striker would not be denied for long.

The excellent Rico Henry drove a low cross in from the left which Wissa had time to control and then dispatch goalwards from 15 yards – van de Ven’s efforts to block only succeeded in looping the ball up and over Vicario and into the back of the net.

Following a hectic opening 45 minutes, 11 minutes were shown by the fourth official and Spurs took advantage of that time afforded to them to find an equaliser.

Just before the goal, Son sounded a warning with a shot wide at the back post. The goal itself came courtesy of a low Royal shot from the edge of the D which arrowed into the bottom corner.

As with the first goal, Brentford responded well to conceding and should have gone in at half-time ahead. Again, Henry was the creator following a bursting run down the left. His cross landed perfectly at the feet of Mbeumo at the back post but, leaning back, he put his shot over the bar from eight yards.

Spurs finish with a flourish but Brentford good value for opening-day point

Unsurprisingly, the second half didn’t quite live up to the fast and furious nature of the first and that suited the away side.

With more time on the ball, Tottenham were able to build pressure - Brentford’s cause not helped by losing Jensen straight after the interval through injury.

Yves Bissouma became a bigger influence on the game, dictating play in the middle of the park. Kulusevski screwed an effort wide before Flekken was called into his first serious Premier League action.

Firstly, he denied Son at close range, van de Ven blasting the rebound over, and then made a smart stop to beat away Richarlison’s drive.

Brentford’s best moment of the season half to this point fell to Jensen’s replacement Mikkel Damsgaard but his shot from 15 yards lacked conviction and was easy for Vicario to gather.

As the half wore on, the tempo of the game dropped further, a raft of substitutions not helping the game’s flow. It wasn’t until the final stages that a winner for either side became a real prospect.

Pape Matar Sarr looped a tame header into the arms of Flekken and Zanka made an important block as Richarlison looked to bend an effort into the far corner.

Brentford’s late chances came in an action-packed 30-second spell which saw Mads Roerslev have a shot blocked on the edge of the box, a Zanka cross drop over Vicario and just wide of the post, and Kevin Schade lift over the keeper, and the bar, after collecting Damsgaard’s through ball.

In the middle of that spell there were also penalty shouts for a Royal handball and Vicario foul on Schade, both of which were checked, but not given.

The four minutes of stoppage-time belonged to Spurs with Brentford hemmed back into their own half, soaking up wave upon wave of pressure. To their credit, they kept Flekken’s goal well protected during that spell to ensure an opening-day home point.

Frank: Mbeumo and Wissa answered doubters

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank believes goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa were 'the best answer' to anyone in doubt of their goalscoring capabilities.

The Bees attacking duo both got on the scoresheet in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham at Gtech Community Stadium, with Mbeumo netting from the spot and Wissa tucking home a Rico Henry cross. 

And, with some sceptical about their ability to replace the goals scored by Ivan Toney, who will be back in January, Frank was delighted to see both members of his strikeforce on the scoresheet.

The Bees boss said: “Seeing them both score was very pleasing. Every time Ivan was out last year and they played together, they scored! And they did that again today. 

“That's the best answer they can give to anyone that might have been in doubt - I was never in doubt, by the way, because they've proven it before. So it was really, really good to see that.” 

Henry pleased with attacking output

Rico Henry believes that the increased attacking freedom granted to him when playing wing-back suits his game.

Henry provided the assist for Brentford’s second goal against Tottenham Hotspur, driving down the left and crossing for Yoane Wissa who fired home via a deflection.

And the defender, who registered two assists and created five big chances last season, revealed that he is keen to bolster his attacking numbers this term.

“We played a back five, so I knew I’d get chances to go forward and that’s what I did,” said Henry following the 2-2 draw at Gtech Community Stadium.

“It was a good first game and good to get the cobwebs off. The gaffer always tell me to make the back stick, win the balls from the opposite side and be the outlet when the ball is in the middle. That’s what I have to do, as well as tracking back and defending.”