Thomas Frank was frustrated on his return to Brentford as Tottenham were held to a goalless draw at the Gtech Stadium.
Frank, who managed the Bees for seven years and 317 games, guiding them to promotion in 2021, was making his first trip back to west London since joining Spurs in the summer.
He received a warm reception as he strode out on to the pitch and applauded all four sides of his old ground before kick-off.
But that was about as good as it got for the Dane with Spurs not managing a single effort on target until stoppage time and their fans chanting 'boring, boring Tottenham' towards the end of a dour encounter.
Brennan Johnson was a notable absentee from the travelling squad as the Wales winger is closing in on a move to Crystal Palace.
Brentford had the ball in the net after just four minutes when Guglielmo Vicario saved a header from Republic of Ireland centre-half Nathan Collins and Kevin Schade, Saturday’s hat-trick hero against Bournemouth, tucked in the rebound only to be flagged offside.
Spurs had to wait 33 minutes for a half-chance, when Richarlison cushioned a volley across goal and Archie Gray’s header was blocked by the shoulder of Collins.
Richarlison got to the rebound first but the Brazilian striker skied his effort at the far post.
Tottenham were almost caught out on the counter before half-time when Schade broke forward and cut inside.
The ball was prodded away from the German but only as far as Jordan Henderson, who swung in a cross only for Igor Thiago to make a mess of his header without knowing Keane Lewis-Potter was in a better position just behind him.
It had been a stinker of a first half from both sides, but Spurs at least started the second with a bit more urgency, Mohammed Kudus fizzing a 20-yard drive inches over the crossbar.
Brentford threatened when Schade fed Yehor Yarmolyuk who crossed towards Lewis-Potter, but the midfielder’s scuffed shot was blocked by a combination of Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.
There was a brief VAR check for a penalty when Gray went down in the box under a challenge from Schade, but it was quickly dismissed.
Brentford were cranking up the pressure, though, and when Henderson’s cross picked out Yarmolyuk eight yards out his header was well kept out by Vicario.
Moments later the hosts created an even better chance, with Michael Kayode outmuscling Spence and cutting the ball back for Thiago, who blazed his shot over.
Richarlison could have stolen the points at the death but his finish was as lame as Tottenham’s performance as it flew into the arms of Bees keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Tom Cairney's fine equaliser for Fulham saw Crystal Palace’s winless streak extend to six matches in a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.
Palace were bidding to avoid a fourth straight Premier League defeat and Jean-Philippe Mateta handed his side the advantage when he opened the scoring in the 39th minute.
Fulham’s Raul Jimenez hit the post in the second half before Palace defender Maxence Lacroix saw Bernd Leno claw his header on to the crossbar.
However, Marco Silva’s side denied Palace a much-needed win when he struck from the edge of the penalty area with 10 minutes remaining.
Dean Henderson then stopped the visitors from taking all three points in injury time when he produced a fine one-handed stop to deny Timothy Castagne from close range.
The stalemate in south London – which takes Palace and Fulham up to ninth and 10th respectively – was played out against the backdrop of Brennan Johnson closing in on his £35million transfer from Tottenham.
Johnson, deemed surplus to requirements by Spurs manager Thomas Frank, could complete his switch to Palace before the close of the week.
Fulham arrived here as the in-form team – with three consecutive wins as well as four clean sheets on their previous four visits to Selhurst Park – and they spent the opening 30 minutes of a match lacking real intensity in the ascendancy.
The Cottagers might have taken the lead midway through the first half only for Harry Wilson to fire Kevin’s cross straight at Henderson, and then Jimenez side-footed the rebound wide when he might have done better.
Palace, who have failed to win a match of any sort since they saw off Shelbourne in the Conference League on 11 December, started like a team lacking in confidence, but Leno was required to deny Marc Guehi from close range, and then the hosts delivered the breakthrough.
Mateta had been on a run of seven games without finding the back of the net, but he was at his clinical best to head home Nathaniel Clyne’s sumptuous cross – although Antonee Robinson should have provided a sterner challenge to stop the Palace full-back. It marked Mateta’s first goal from open play in two months.
Clyne then scuffed a half-volley wide of Leno’s post before Will Hughes’ low effort was also wayward. In first-half stoppage time, Henderson parried Kevin’s long-range effort away from danger.
A chance for Fulham to draw level arrived shortly before the hour mark when Jimenez headed Robinson’s whipped cross into the turf and on to Henderson’s post.
Palace came close to doubling their advantage on 73 minutes after Leno tipped Lacroix’s header from a corner on to the crossbar. Lacroix was first to react but his second header struck team-mate Guehi, standing virtually on the goal line, in the face and Fulham remained in the contest.
Palace were now largely camped in their own half and the home supporters, who last witnessed a Palace win at Selhurst Park on 1 November, were growing increasingly anxious.
And the visitors were back in the fixture with 10 minutes remaining when Cairney in a central position on the edge of the box, wrapped his left foot around the ball to deliver a wonderful curling shot that left Henderson with no chance.
Henderson was then needed in the first minute of injury time to stop Castagne’s effort before Joachin Andersen blazed over from six yards out as Palace survived.
