Tottenham Hotspur forward Timo Werner has been slammed for his poor end product following his team’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Sunday evening.
It was the dream start for Ange Postecoglou’s side at the Amex as Brennan Johnson fired them in front shortly after the 20-minute mark. James Maddison then made it two 10 minutes later.
The second half was a different story entirely as the hosts pulled one back minutes after the break through Yankuba Minteh. Goals from Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck then made it 3-2 with 20 minutes left to play.
Werner Slammed by Pundit
The forward started against Brighton
One player that had a difficult game was forward Werner. The 28-year-old made his second Premier League start of the season against Brighton, but was substituted for Pape Matar Sarr with a little over 10 minutes left to play.
Former Chelsea midfielder, now pundit, Craig Burley didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Germany international. In a post shared on social media platform X, Burley slammed the forward’s finishing and branded it as ‘poor’.
"Timo Werner’s end product really is poor."
Werner did register an assist for Maddison’s goal in the first half, but his poor final ball cost Spurs chances earlier in the game. A similar criticism was levelled at him following their victory over Manchester United, as he squandered two one v ones against Andre Onana.
The forward joined Spurs from RB Leipzig on loan in January, and that was extended to run until the end of the 2024/25 season. As part of the agreement with the Bundesliga club, Tottenham have the option to buy Werner for £8.5million next summer.
Werner had a previous spell in the Premier League with London rivals Chelsea between 2020 and 2022. He scored 23 goals in 89 appearances, and was sold back to Leipzig two summers ago for less than half of what Chelsea initially paid for him.
Johnson Equals Kane Record
He scored in the first half against Brighton
Johnson had a slightly more positive afternoon, despite the defeat against Brighton. He fired Spurs in front after 20 minutes following a through ball from Dominic Solanke. With his first touch, Johnson tucked his effort into the bottom corner to give the visitors an early advantage.
The 23-year-old has now scored six goals in his last six appearances for Spurs across all competitions. As reported by the Daily Mail, this matches club legend Harry Kane, who was the last player to find the net in successive games back in 2019, and he did so across three separate competitions.
Prior to Sunday’s meeting with Brighton, Johnson had scored in their last two league games against Manchester United and Brentford, their two Europa League games against Qarabag and Ferencvaros, as well as their Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City.
Johnson joined Spurs from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest back in September 2023, having progressed through his former club’s academy ranks. He signed a long-term deal with Spurs, and his current contract is set to expire in 2028, with the option of a further year.