Opening day at the Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford start their 2026/27 Premier League campaign at home, and that means one thing: the Bees will be buzzing. Thomas Frank's side have made this ground a fortress in recent seasons, and with the front-line trio of Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara expected to lead the line, they carry genuine firepower. The injury list is real — Antoni Milambo and Sepp van den Berg are sidelined — but the core is intact. Kelleher in goal, Ajer and Collins at the back, Janelt pulling the strings in midfield. This is a team built to make life miserable for visitors on the opening weekend.

Tottenham arrive with a squad that looks radically different. Debuts galore, as the Standard put it. Kinsky in goal, Van Hecke and Senesi at centre-back, Robertson at left-back, and a midfield of Fernandes and Tonali. That's a lot of new faces learning each other's movements on the fly. Richarlison leads the line, with Gallagher, Tel and Savinho buzzing behind him. Spurs have talent, no doubt, but cohesion is a question mark. Opening-day away games against a physical, organised Brentford side are exactly the kind of fixture that exposes a team still gelling. Momentum sits with the hosts.