Mbeumo double as Brentford fight back to win at Tottenham

LONDON : Brentford shrugged off an eight-month ban imposed on striker Ivan Toney as Bryan Mbeumo scored twice in a 3-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday in their penultimate Premier League game of an impressive season.

Harry Kane's 28th league goal of the campaign, a stunning free kick, put the hosts ahead and they dominated before halftime in their last home game of the season.

But seventh-placed Tottenham's hopes of qualifying for Europe suffered yet another blow after the break as Cameroonian forward Mbeumo dispatched two clinical left-foot finishes to turn the game on its head in the space of 12 minutes.

It prompted home chants against chairman Daniel Levy, who admitted in his programme notes it had been an "immensely difficult season" for the club and the volume increased when Yoane Wissa wrapped it up for Brentford in the 88th minute.

It was Tottenham's 14th defeat of the season and they face a crucial summer ahead to halt a worrying decline.

"The summer is a week away, we've got a massive game against Leeds but there will be massive decisions to make," Tottenham stand-in manager Ryan Mason said.

For Thomas Frank's ninth-place Brentford, a top-half finish is assured and they even have an outside chance of sneaking above Tottenham and qualifying for Europe.

Tottenham have 57 points from 37 games, a point behind sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion who have a game in hand. Brentford, who host leaders Manchester City next week, have 56.

Toney, whose 20 goals make him the second highest English scorer in the Premier League this season behind Kane, was banned this week for more than 200 breaches of the FA's betting rules.

He will not be able to play again until January 2024, a hole Brentford will seek to fill this summer, but