Thomas Frank's emotional return to Brentford ended in a dour 0-0 draw as his Tottenham Hotspur side were second best for long stretches but escaped with a point at the Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford carried more of the threat yet could not convert a series of openings, while Tottenham's first goalless draw in 137 Premier League games left them still marooned in the bottom half in 12th, a point behind the Bees in ninth.
The afternoon began with a warm ovation for Frank, the Dane who spent nearly seven years in charge in west London and led Brentford into the Premier League in 2021, but the football that followed was flat. Both teams struggled for rhythm, yet it was Keith Andrews' Brentford who pressed more aggressively, fashioned the better chances and left the pitch feeling this was a missed opportunity against a Tottenham side still wrestling with a lack of creativity and growing discontent in the away end.
Standing ovation for a club hero before 'business as usual'
Before kick-off the stadium paused to salute the man who had done so much to transform Brentford. Frank, now 52, was shown on the big screens in a montage of past triumphs, then strode 20 yards on to the turf, applauding all four corners of the ground as home supporters rose to give him a standing ovation. This was the coach who took the club up from the Championship and established it in mid-table Premier League respectability, and the affection clearly endures.