Brennan Johnson outpaces Son Heung-min as Tottenham defeats Southampton 3-1

Brennan Johnson (24, Tottenham Hotspur) succeeded in scoring double digits in the Premier League for the first time since his debut. His scoring pace this season is faster than that of Son Heung-min (33).

Tottenham defeated Southampton 3-1 in the 31st round of the 2024-2025 Premier League held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 6th (Korean time).

With this victory, Tottenham rang the victory bell after five league matches. They recorded 37 points (11 wins, 4 draws, 16 losses) and rose to 14th place in the league. Ending their home losing streak, Tottenham successfully changed the atmosphere ahead of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt this week.

Southampton has been confirmed for relegation. They remain at 10 points (2 wins, 4 draws, 25 losses), making it clear that they will play in the Championship (second division) next season, regardless of the remaining match results. They are experiencing the humiliation of being promoted and then relegated again this season.

Tottenham deployed a 4-3-3 formation that day. Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, and Johnson led the attack, while James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Berival were placed in the midfield. The defense featured Jed Spence, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.

Son Heung-min achieved a milestone of 450 appearances for Tottenham, placing him 7th in all-time appearances for the club.

From the early stages of the match, Tottenham seized control. In the 9th minute of the first half, a powerful header from Romero on a corner kick was blocked by Ramsdale's save. In the 11th minute, Berival shook off the opposing defense and took a shot, but the accuracy was lacking.

The opening goal came in the 13th minute of the first half. Son Heung-min passed the ball to Spence, who overlapped on the left side, and Spence provided a cutback pass. Johnson finished it off with a non-stop shot, shaking the net.

Johnson netted his second goal just before the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute, the Southampton defense failed to properly handle a high ball in the box. Maddison lifted the ball with a header, and Johnson skillfully pushed it in to record a multi-goal.

In the second half, Tottenham operated with composure. In the 13th minute, they substituted Son Heung-min and Bentancur for Pape Sarr and Wilson Odobert to manage their stamina. The flow of the game became somewhat quiet afterward.

Southampton pulled one back with a goal from Mateus Fernandes in the 45th minute of the second half. However, there was no further chase. In fact, in stoppage time of the second half, Johnson earned a penalty kick, adding another point for Tottenham. Matthias Tell calmly converted the penalty, sealing the match.

Johnson was undoubtedly the star of the match that day. He scored two goals, reaching 10 goals in the league. His scoring pace is faster than Son Heung-min's (7 goals). Football statistics outlet 'Squawka' noted, "Johnson is the first Tottenham player this season to score 10 goals in the league. This is also his first career double-digit goal tally."

Local media also showered praise. The Tottenham fan community 'Spurs Web' awarded Johnson the highest rating of 9 on the team. "Johnson likely wanted a hat trick. However, in the second half, Tottenham focused on managing the game reliably. Both goals were finished excellently," they evaluated.

'Football London' also gave the same rating. "He proved the reason for starting instead of Odobert. He created the opening goal with Spence and scored the second goal with clever movement just before the end of the first half. Tell's penalty kick prevented a hat trick," they reported.

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