The Premier League returned with a bang as Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur shared four goals at the Gtech Community Stadium on Boxing Day.

After 47 days without a match in TW8, it looked like the perfect homecoming for Brentford fans as Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney fired the home side into a two-goal lead with 55 minutes on the clock.

However, Harry Kane pulled one back just before the midway point of the second half and, six minutes later, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg completed the comeback with a side-footed finish.

Kane nearly grabbed a late winner, which would have been very harsh on a well-organised and resolute Brentford side, but his header came back off the bar.

The teams

Thomas Frank was able to call upon Christian Norgaard from the start for the first time since late August while Charlie Goode and Pontus Jansson both returned to the bench.

Antonio Conte started five of Tottenham Hotspur’s World Cup contingent, including Kane and Perisic, with France captain Hugo Lloris on the bench, eight days on from their defeat to Argentina in the final.

Brentford: Raya; Roerslev, Zanka, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Norgaard (Dasilva 82), Janelt, Jensen (Ghoddos 67); Mbeumo (Wissa 82), Toney

Subs not used: Cox, Goode, Canos, Jansson, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard

Tottenham Hotspur: Forster; Tanganga (Sanchez 67), Dier, Lenglet (Davies 90+5); Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bissouma (Booked 60), Perisic; Kulusevski, Son, Kane

Subs not used: Lloris, Skipp, Gil, Royal, Sessegnon, Sarr, White

First half

Tottenham won the toss and swapped ends, meaning the Bees would attack the west stand in the first half. And it was those west stand fans who were closer to the action during the opening stages.

Brentford moved the ball around nicely, probing for an opening against Tottenham’s back three of Clement Lenglet, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga.

Norgaard’s return allowed Jensen and Janelt more license to get forward and it was the midfield pair who combined for the opening goal on the quarter-hour.

Toney beat Tanganga in an aerial battle and nodded the ball down for Bryan Mbeumo out on the left flank. The Cameroon international spotted the run of Jensen through the middle and found him with a pinpoint cross. Jensen’s shot from 15 yards was half blocked by Lenglet and dropped, via a touch off Fraser Forster’s hand, perfectly for Janelt four yards out to tap home.

The goal was only the second attempt on target in the game - Kane’s free-kick deflected behind for a corner for the first - and it gave Brentford a lead to build on.

The Christmas period might be the season of goodwill but there wasn’t too much of that on show as the tackles flew in.

Kulusevski and Rico Henry squared up following a challenge on the touchline while Norgaard and Bissouma thundered into challenges in midfield, roared on by the crowd.

As the half wore on, Tottenham began to show more of a threat, without unduly worrying David Raya in the Bees’ goal.

Son Heung-min curled one into Raya’s arms following a driving run in from the left. On the other flank, Kulusevski also worked his way into a shooting position but didn’t trouble the Brentford keeper with his low effort.

Son was proving to be Tottenham’s main threat, cutting in from his wide starting position. After another jinking, high-speed run, he forced Raya into a smart, low save down to his right.

Spurs might have been having more sights of goal, but Brentford were defending their box well and still carried a real threat going forward.

A long throw dropped to Zanka on the right-edge of the six-yard box, he swivelled and made good connection, but the outstretched leg of Forster got in the way.

Lenglet had a long-range drive blocked before Brentford thought they had doubled their advantage two minutes before the interval. Jensen won the ball back high in the midfield and set Toney clear. Toney bore down on goal, kept his cool, rounded Forster, and tapped home only then for the offside flag to go up and cut short the celebrations.

The final action of the half saw goalscorer Janelt make an important block inside his own D as Perisic lined up a shot.

Second half

Tottenham started the second half carrying more of a threat but quickly found themselves 2-0 down thanks to a goal all of their own making.

Dier’s wild clearance, under no pressure, went behind for a corner. Mbeumo swung it in with his left foot, Norgaard glanced it towards goal and Toney reacted fastest inside the six-yard box to tap home his 11th Premier League goal of the season.

The game broke down after that second goal with a rash of yellow cards being handed out by David Coote. Jensen, Bissouma and Toney all went in the book in a three-minute spell before Tottenham began their fightback.

Lenglet drove forward from deep and delivered a cross which Kane met with a firm header that looped over Raya and nestled in the back of the net.

Spurs’ French centre-back then proved his worth at the other end too, making a block from Toney’s 20-yard effort.

Mbeumo had a sight of goal moments later. Henry’s low ball travelled right across goal to the back post where the Cameroon international lifted his first-time effort over the bar from 12 yards.

Two minutes later, Tottenham completed their comeback. There was a slice of fortune in the build-up as Kulusevski’s cut-back deflected off Mee perfectly into the path of Hojbjerg but there was nothing fortunate about the Dane’s clinical finish from 10 yards.

Tottenham now sensed they could take all three points from a game they had looked out of seven minutes earlier.

Kane flicked a header over the bar under pressure from Ethan Pinnock. From another cross in, Matt Doherty could only get minimal contact on the ball and his header bounced wide. A long-range Davinson Sanchez shot was well held by Raya before Brentford’s big, late let-off.

In a repeat of the move for Tottenham’s first goal, Lenglet delivered from deep on the left, aiming for Kane. Raya came to claim but the England striker got there first and directed the ball towards goal. The ball took the smallest of touches off Raya, which took it onto the bar; when it bounced down Doherty couldn’t adjust quickly enough to turn it home, Ben Mee in the right place to hammer it clear from inside the six-yard box.

Tottenham continued to press right up to the final whistle. Son’s curling low effort was pounced on by Raya deep into five minutes of added time, but there would be no more late drama as both sides took a point from a cracking Christmas derby encounter.

Reaction: Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank was ‘happy’ with Brentford’s performance against Tottenham Hotspur but felt that his side ‘should have won’ on their return to Premier League action.

Reaction: Vitaly Janelt

Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt said he had mixed emotions after the Bees' 2-2 draw.