Returning Maddison prominent as Spurs edge into top four

Maddison has been missed by Spurs, but his return gave them the edge over a feisty Brentford side who took the lead but then capitulated with three goals conceded in the first 11 minutes of the second half. 

Although Ivan Toney scored a second goal since returning from suspension, it was too little, too late.

Spurs started brightly but it was Brentford who opened the scoring. Mads Roerslev had put the ball in the Tottenham net in the 12th minute, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside against Mathias Jensen in the build-up.

But there was no doubt about the legitimacy of Maupay's goal three minutes later. 

Spurs were sloppy in the possession around the centre-circle, and when Toney was put in on goal, he fired in a powerful shot from the right. Guglielmo Vicario made a good stop, but Maupay beat Cristian Romero to the loose ball and poked it in the net from close range.

Brentford's supporters celebrated, Tottenham fans feared the worst, with the absence of Heung Min Son keenly felt. 

The Tottenham captain, on Asian Cup duty with South Korea in Qatar, gives Spurs a cutting edge that Timo Werner and Richarlison have struggled to reproduce in the past month, and both forwards missed early chances. 

The Brazilian failed to get a simple shot away when crowded out by Brentford's defence, and then Werner headed horribly wide at the far post after a Maddison corner was flicked on, having earlier had a low shot saved.

Richarlison curled a long-range effort just wide and then put the ball past Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal, but fouled Ethan Pinnock in the build-up. The big Brentford defender then headed Jensen's free-kick powerfully towards goal and Vicario did well to tip the ball away.

At half-time, Ange Postecoglou made two changes, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replacing Oliver Skipp and Brennan Johnson going on for Rodrigo Bentancur. 

It gave Spurs a more attacking look, and they were rewarded with two goals in as many minutes to take the lead. 

Destiny Udogie attacked from deep, exchanging passes with Werner before advancing into the penalty area and shooting. Pinnock blocked the first effort, but the young Italian followed up to steer the ball home from a tight angle. 

Spurs sensed blood and within sixty seconds they were ahead. Werner sprinted away down the left wing and delivered a low cross towards the far post, where Johnson had the simple job of sweeping the ball into the net.

And barely seven minutes later Richarlison made it 3-1 with his seventh goal in the past nine games. Udogie was again the instigator, carrying the ball from deep with a surging run to set up Maddison, whose close-range shot was deflected by Pinnock into the path of Richarlison, who turned and shot, the ball going in off the ankle of Nathan Collins on the line.

Brentford were stunned but did not give up. 

Toney fired an angled drive just wide of the far post, and then made a mess of a good chance presented by Maupay, who found him unmarked close to the penalty spot. 

The big striker turned past Vicario and Micky Van de Ven, but then screwed his low shot horribly wide. 

But Toney made it third time lucky, and fortunate he was in the 67th minute. 

Udogie won the ball near the halfway line, and with Van de Ven signalling for him to pass back, played the ball without looking. 

Toney was lurking close to Vicario, seized on the chance and calmly smashed the ball into the net for his second goal since returning from his long suspension for betting offences.

As the game opened up there were chances at both ends. 

Romero made a solid tackle as Vitaly Janelt advanced on goal to set up a counter-attack, which ended with Werner's low shot deflected for a corner. Pedro Porro tried his luck from long range twice, but shot over the bar each time.

Maddison, who had caused Brentford all sorts of problems, gave Postecoglou a scare when he went down clutching his ankle in the closing minutes and had to be replaced by Radu Dragusin.

Richarlison went close for Spurs in stoppage time, and Brentford substitute Shandon Baptiste had a volley tipped over by Vicario.  

Tottenham: Vicario 7; Porro 7, Romero 8, Van de Ven 7, Udogie 8; Skipp 6 (Hojbjerg 46), Bentancur 7 (Johnson 46); Kulusevski 7, Maddison 8 (Dragusin 88), Werner 7 (Donley 89); Richarlison 7.

BRENTFORD: Flekken 6; Collins 7 (Ajer 78), Pinnock 6, Mee 6; Roerslev 6 (Dasilva 78), Jensen 6 (Yarmoliuk 57), Norgaard 7, Janelt 6 (Baptiste 88), Lewis-Potter 6 (Damsgaard 88); Toney 7, Maupay 7.

Referee: David Coote 6.