Tottenham made light work of a struggling Southampton side, but as ever with this Ange Postecoglou team, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Here are two positives and two negatives from the Tottenham vs Southampton game.
The whistle has gone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs welcomed relegation-bound Southampton.
Ange Postecoglou’s side came out on top, picking up their 11th win of the league season after 31 matches played.
It was an inspired showing from Brennan Johnson, who led the charge in a 3-1 win over the Saints — a result that officially seals Southampton’s fate, confirming their drop after managing just two wins all campaign.
Let’s now get into two positives and two negatives from Spurs’ outing against Southampton.
Brennan Johnson stars as Tottenham see off Southampton
Brennan Johnson’s performance on Sunday afternoon will no doubt go down as a major positive for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham.
The Welsh winger grabbed a brace before winning a penalty in the dying moments—though he generously let Mathys Tel step up and convert it for his first Premier League goal in a Spurs shirt.
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That brace now takes Johnson’s tally to 50 goals in English football. More importantly, it gives Spurs one more attacker hitting form right when it matters most, especially ahead of their crucial European tie against Frankfurt.
Johnson, who’s now the club’s leading scorer in the league, has found his scoring boots again after a barren run.
Djed Spence maintains fine form in crucial end of season run-in
Right behind Johnson in the man-of-the-match stakes was Djed Spence, who once again looked sharp down the right.
A few weeks ago, Spence talked about wanting to win trophies with Tottenham, and today’s display backed up that ambition.
He was a constant outlet, and his assist for Johnson’s opener was the sort of moment that boosts confidence going into Thursday’s quarter-final first leg.
Defensive lapses cost Tottenham Hotspur another clean sheet
There’s been a lot of chat around whether Spurs‘ playing style leaves them vulnerable, especially when they’re ahead—and that talk won’t be going away anytime soon.
Against Southampton, Tottenham looked to switch things up slightly. They played with a bit more caution, trying to control the tempo and limit the Saints’ chances by holding onto the ball.
But it didn’t really work. Southampton still managed to snatch a late goal, and had there been more time left on the clock, things might’ve turned very nervy.
That late lapse is something Postecoglou and his staff will want to sort quickly, particularly with Frankfurt coming up next. You can’t afford those kinds of moments in knockout football.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke still searching for goals
It was another frustrating afternoon for Dominic Solanke, who just couldn’t get himself going in front of goal.
Postecoglou would’ve been hoping the striker could get one today and finally break his drought—he’s now gone nine games without a goal.
In truth, Solanke looked off the pace in that first half. Spurs didn’t create much for him, and when he did get a sniff, it was from outside the box, which made it that much harder to make an impact.
It’s a concern now. Tottenham will need all their attackers firing if they want to progress in Europe and finish the season strong domestically, and Solanke’s current form isn’t cutting it.