Despite some setbacks along the way, it’s been a largely successful week for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou, securing passage in the Carabao Cup and three points in the Premier League.
Are Tottenham finally hitting some form?
Following a difficult start to the season for Spurs having entered the week with just four points from four games in the league, nothing short of victory over both Coventry and Brentford would have sufficed for fans.
And in what was a drastically uninspiring performance against the former that saw Spurs score twice in the last five minutes to book their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup, victory over Brentford on Saturday appeared at least somewhat more convincing.
Despite a bright start from Brentford, making it the second time in as many weeks that the Bees have stung their opponents first scoring within 30 seconds, Tottenham’s 3.89xG to the visitors’ 0.89 saw the hosts finish as worth winners (Understat).
Moreover, a long-awaited first goal for club record signing Dominic Solanke alongside a first of the season for James Maddison, who has started the campaign in fine form, will instil some much-need confidence as Spurs enter a tough run of upcoming fixtures with trips to Manchester United and Brighton up next in the league.
But perhaps one Spurs player who will have enjoyed the week more than most is Welshman Brennan Johnson, with the winger quite literally silencing his recent critics with two crucial goals for the Lilywhites.
Following an admittedly sub-par performance in North London Derby prior to the international break, Johnson has been subject to a barrage of social media abuse that has since seen him deactivate his Instagram account.
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Granted, playing a club such as Spurs brings with it certain pressures and expectations, but regardless of performance, abuse of such kind is never merited.
A great week for Brennan Johnson
Opinions on Johnson always seem to be split among Spurs fans, with the forward too often lacking end product, evidenced all too well by his five Premier League goals last season coming from an xG of 10.61 (SofaScore).
Moreover, in competing with the likes of Heung Min-Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner, Richarlison and summer signing Wilson Odobert for his place in the side, Johnson is hardly starved of competition if performances aren’t up to scratch.
However, that being said, the Welshman totalled a commendable 15 goal contributions in the league last season, an impressive feat at just 23 years old, bettering the likes of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, and even Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (FotMob).
Moreover, and perhaps the reason why Tottenham paid a sizable fee of £47.5m to bring the winger to North London on deadline day of Summer 2024 (Sky Sports) is the Welshman’s work rate, as he is the true epitome of a Postecoglou and Angeball winger.
Johnson profiles in the top 10% of wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received, touches in the attacking penalty area, blocks made and passes blocked, painting the picture of a hard-working, forward-thinking yet defensively-astute winger (FB Ref).
For those familiar with Posteoglou’s time at Celtic, much of his joy came from playing the Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda on both flanks; a pair of pacy, relentless wingers much like Johnson.
And whilst Johnson may not be as prolific as Spurs fans would like, both of his goals this week have been expertly taken.
Firstly, the Welshman’s finish at Coventry showed a calmness seldom displayed by the Welshman, with a cleverly chipped finish past Ben Wilson keeping Spurs in the run for what might be their best chance at a trophy this season in a game that should have been a routine win.
Then, against Brentford, Johnson’s precision strike from an acute angle gave Spurs a much-needed lead in what looked a must-win match, an impressive feat given he narrowly missed an almost identical chance just 15 minutes prior.
The Welshman, rightly so may I add, sent a clear message to Spurs fans yesterday, with the often-polarising “shush” celebration reminding the North London faithful of his quality, with Postecoglou echoing as much in his post-match comments.
“Brennan’s had a top week. He scored in the cup to get us through, scored the winner and he scored a fantastic goal again today to get us ahead and he was a real threat all the way through. He had a bit of a tough period last week and sometimes it gives you perspective about what’s important and what’s important to Brennan is that he’s a much-loved team-mate and like I said last week, he works hard every day and I’ve no doubt he’ll make a big impact for our club” (Tottenham Hotspur).
With a tough run of fixtures both domestically and in Europe now on the horizon for Spurs, hopefully, Johnson has found some form at the right time, as Spurs have certainly enjoyed the presence of a pacey, prolific Welshman in times on gone, and could certainly benefit from any such Welsh-wizardry again this season.