Tottenham Hotspur have broken a niche 23-year Premier League record in their 3-0 loss to Brentford, which paints a clear picture of why they struggled.A depleted Spurs side struggled to match the home side’s intensity and energy on Saturday, with Keith Andrews’ men being extremely dominant.While De Zerbi is confident that Tottenham will be a force to be reckoned with when they gel as a team, he admitted that the performance and result came as a wake-up call to his side.The Spurs head coach particularly expressed concern over his side’s inability to win duels and second balls, and that has led to a concerning stat.Credit: @thefrederikkejensen / InstagramConcerning stat shows Tottenham had no control despite dominating possessionOpta have now revealed that despite having almost 60 per cent possession on Saturday, Spurs conceded 26 shots.The data analysis platform revealed that the possession recorded by Tottenham at the Gtech Community Stadium was the highest for any side to face 25 shots or more since the 2003-04 season.OptaJoe revealed on X: “26 – Tottenham conceded 26 shots in their 0-3 defeat to Brentford, despite averaging 59.8% possession. This is the highest possession by a team to face more than 25 shots in a Premier League match on record (since 03-04). Disconnect.”26 – Tottenham conceded 26 shots in their 0-3 defeat to Brentford, despite averaging 59.8% possession.This is the highest possession by a team to face more than 25 shots in a Premier League match on record (since 03-04).Disconnect. pic.twitter.com/H8eZM9wezH— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 23, 2026Spurs will concede chances in De Zerbi’s system if they do not win duelsDe Zerbi’s system relies on being deliberate and slow with possession at the back, baiting the opposition into pressing, before quickly getting the ball into the right spaces.That not only requires midfielders who are excellent on the ball under pressure but also needs elite players at winning second balls across the pitch.With many teams across the Premier League now going man-to-man, Spurs will concede chances if they are not able to win duels consistently in their own half.READ MORE: De Zerbi says one Tottenham star is ‘even better than I thought’ despite Brentford strugglesThe post Tottenham’s 23-year worst stat exposes issues with De Zerbi’s game plan vs Brentford appeared first on Spurs Web.