FRANK Onyeka was not in Brentford’s matchday squad today as they were held to a 2-2 draw in their Premier League home clash against Tottenham Hotspur, the first match in the league since the World Cup break.
The Nigeria midfielder had been expected to at least make the bench, given his impressive run before the Qatar 2022 World Cup break, but he was left out completely.
There is suspicion that the Super Eagles star could be injured, but there was no explanation given for his absence.
In the match proper, Brentford led 2-0 through Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney but Spurs fought back to tie the game with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane scoring.
The Bees were on course for their first win over Tottenham since 1948 before the visitors netted twice in the closing 25 minutes.
Brentford took a 15th-minute lead as Janelt finished from close range after goalkeeper Fraser Forster, in his first league start for Spurs, pushed the ball into his path following Mathias Jensen’s volley.
The hosts doubled their lead nine minutes into the second half as Toney, who is facing charges for betting breaches, tapped home from point-blank range.
Kane, who scored one penalty and missed another in England’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France in the World Cup, pulled one back in the 65th minute with a superb header from Clement Lenglet’s cross.
The England captain has now scored more Premier League goals on Boxing Day than any other player in the competition’s history (10), scoring in all seven of his appearances on this day, according to Opta statistics.
Hojbjerg made it 2-2 with a fine finish from inside the Brentford box six minutes after Kane’s strike to complete yet another Tottenham comeback this season.
Neither side could find a winner afterwards, with Kane heading a chance against the crossbar and Toney screwing over with Forster beaten.
With the result Spurs stay fourth in the table, while Brentford are ninth.
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