Both Thomas Frank and Mikel Arteta fielded strong lineups in front of a full house at Kai Tak Stadium, but it was Tottenham who looked the more organized side in an impressive first half display.
The Europa League champions rattled the woodwork three times—Pedro Porro and Mohammed Kudus both curled in dangerous corners that caught David Raya off guard and struck the post, while Wilson Odobert had a low shot deflected onto the upright after the ball fell kindly to him on the left side of the box.
Brentford’s dominance was eventually rewarded through a moment of brilliance from Sarr, who capitalized on a turnover by Myles Lewis-Skelly, dispossessed by Richarlison. Spotting Raya off his line, Sarr launched a stunning chip from midfield that sailed over the stranded goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Arsenal showed improvement after the interval but failed to convert their chances. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli both missed promising opportunities, and substitute Viktor Gyokeres struggled to make an impact during the final stages. Spurs nearly doubled their lead late on, with Mickey van de Ven heading just wide at the far post after some excellent play from Mathys Tel on the right wing.
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