Ivan Toney looks set to follow path of Neal Maupay and Oliie Watkins
Tom Roddy
Wednesday January 06 2021, 9.00am, The Times
Ivan Toney showed those outside the Sky Bet Championship how Brentford have continued their incredible run of scouting success. Toney is the summer signing from Peterborough United. He was brought to Brentford for £5 million to replace Ollie Watkins, who had joined Aston Villa for £33 million having originally replaced Neal Maupay, who joined Brighton and Hove Albion for £20 million. Toney is already the Championship’s joint-top scorer and caused problems for Davinson Sánchez all night. Were it not for a questionable VAR ruling which cancelled out his equaliser for an offside knee, Toney would have scored his 17th goal of an already impressive season. Brentford have done it again.
Toney was a constant threat to Spurs and was unlucky not to take his tally for the seaosn to 17
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Aurier improved under Mourinho
An insight into how José Mourinho views Serge Aurier’s reliability in defence was illustrated in last year’s Amazon series,
All or Nothing. “I am afraid of you marking,” Mourinho told a stony-faced Aurier in front of his team-mates. Almost a year on and Aurier could be one of the group of Tottenham players who have turned their fortunes around under the manager, as the Ivorian made vital interceptions against Ivan Toney while covering for others. Replacing the suspended Matt Doherty, who has struggled to find the form that saw him impress at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aurier did more than enough to put himself in contention for more opportunities. Aurier has improved this season but let himself down by conceding a stupid penalty in the defeat by Leicester last month.
Different leagues
Mourinho said he had given Brentford the Premier League treatment when it came to preparation for their Carabao Cup semi-final, such was the talent of Thomas Frank’s team. And yet the difference between the two London clubs in terms of history was clear with this being Brentford’s first major semi-final and Tottenham Hotspur’s 45th. The cost of the two startling line-ups also showed the gulf between the teams as well as a contrasting model, with Spurs naming a side worth £260 million compared to just £32 million for Brentford.
Easy route to the final
The strange nature of the Carabao Cup this season meant that, while both teams had the same chance of reaching the final, one had worked far harder to get to the last four. This was only Tottenham’s third match in the competition, having been given a bye when Covid-19 prevented their game against Leyton Orient going ahead, whereas Frank’s side had already beaten five opponents. They were far from straightforward, too. After knocking out Wycombe Wanderers, Brentford only played Premier League opposition, beating Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham and Newcastle United. Frank’s Sky Bet Championship side have beaten more Premier League teams than Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham combined this year.
Midfielder’s 100 per cent conversion rate
Before kick-off, Moussa Sissoko revealed Jose Mourinho’s orders to his team, that they were to attack Brentford and not sit back. Watching Sissoko convert an early header after his cleverly-timed run and positioning suggested a midfielder used to this approach, and yet the opposite is true. Indeed, the Tottenham midfielder’s finish was not only his first goal of the season but his first shot since the campaign began (Sissoko was making his 26th appearance). The France international has averaged a goal a year at Tottenham since signing from Newcastle in 2016. Spurs won every league game Sissoko scored in, yet lost the only Carabao Cup goal he scored, against West Ham United in October 2017.
