Clive Tyldesley wowed by ‘superb’ Brennan Johnson after what he did in Tottenham 1-0 win v Burnley
Tottenham now have a huge Son Heung-Min conundrum to solve this month but Brennan Johnson is well on his way to solve them after a “superb” display against Burnley.
Spurs beat fellow Premier League side Burnley on Friday night (5 January) to move into the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to Pedro Porro’s second-half stunning strike.
Without club captain Son Heung-min, who joined up with South Korea before the Asian Cup later this month, the hosts failed to convert a host of chances before the breakthrough in the 78th minute.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou led Celtic to the treble of Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup last season and this was his first experience of the FA Cup.
He showed how important the competition was to Spurs – without a trophy since winning the League Cup in 2008 – as he named the strongest side possible despite the injury issues Tottenham are currently from.
There were only two changes from the team that won 3-1 win against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve to leave them fifth in the Premier League.
Both were forced upon him with forward Son heading to the Asian Cup and midfielder Pape Matar Sarr joining up with Senegal before the Africa Cup of Nations.
But the absence of the former will certainly be the most telling for Spurs which means a big-shaped Son hole will certainly need to be filled in the coming weeks.
Step forward former Nottingham Forest man Johnson who’s now shown what he can offer in Son’s absence over the last two games.
If Tottenham fans can offer the winger that time and patience, they could certainly have a real star on their hands, something that the 22-year-old’s flashes of brilliance have come to the fore in recent games.
In Spurs’ last game of 2023 – a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on 31 December – the Welshman arguably put in his best performance in a Tottenham shirt.
For Johnson, the clash was an opportunity to bounce back after a disappointing performance in the 4-2 defeat against Brighton at the Amex Stadium a few days earlier (28 December).
As per Sofascore, the Wales international struggled against the Seagulls, completing just 67 per cent of his passes, succeeding with just one of his four attempted crosses, while also giving the ball away 11 times before being hooked off in the 70th minute.
However, he redeemed himself with great aplomb.
While he still struggled with his passing accuracy, completing just 65 per cent of his passes, he shone elsewhere as he managed to grab an assist, create a big chance, succeed with 100 per cent of his dribbles (one out of one), and play one accurate long ball forward.
Johnson also chipped in defensively, making four tackles and winning five of the nine ground duels he contested [SofaScore]. He could well have ended the match with another assist had it not been for the crucial miss of the player he is supposed to be replacing this month.
Against Burnley on Friday, it was a similar theme although there are some holes in his game he will need to refine if he is to fully solve the huge Ange conundrum in Son’s absence.
However, the Welshman showcased the unstoppable threat he poses to defenders, delivering some excellent off-the-ball runs all evening, wonderful first touches – especially one “superb” touch which wowed ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley live on air (5 January, 8:07 pm) after a long-raking pass from Porro.
The Welshman failed to register a goal or an assist and will have been disappointed by the brilliant defending from Burnley cutting out his telling crosses but if Johnson can continue to pose such a threat to defences in the coming weeks, Son may not be missed at all.
As per SofaScore, the former Forest man picked up the second-best score of any player to start for both teams, successfully completing 73 per cent of his passes, registering one key pass, completing 50 per cent of his dribble attempts, registering four shots on target and winning three of his ground duels.
Johnson has only registered one goal and four assists so far this season but he now has a chance to step out of Son’s limelight and prove why Postecoglou was adamant about shelling out £40million on his services. Continue as he did against Burnley, and fans may forget about Son for the whole month at least.
In other Tottenham news, one pundit has reacted to a recent development at the club, describing the news as a “shame.”