Certain wingers make a career from scoring the same type of goal.
Former Netherlands star Arjen Robben had a trademark far-post, left-footed curler when cutting in from the right. Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes repeatedly finishes his far-post curlers following one-twos. France and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe has mastered the ‘reverse’ near-post shot after coming in from the left.
Brennan Johnson needs to go on the list. It was less than two months ago that Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou came out to defend the 23-year-old against social media abuse, praising his workrate and attitude, simplifying Johnson’s poor form to him being a “young guy who is probably lacking a bit of confidence. Things haven’t gone his way.”
Johnson then went on a seven-game scoring run for club and country, and a goal last night in Tottenham’s Europa League draw with Roma made it four in his last seven. He’s got 14 in all competitions (53 games) since the start of last season — Son Heung-min (21) is the only Tottenham player with more.
None of his Tottenham goals have come from outside the box, and half (seven) have been the same move: the assist is a low cross from the left, with Johnson arriving at/from the back post for a one-touch finish.
Against Roma, it came on the counter-attack to put Tottenham 2-1 up. Son picked up a loose pass after Roma gave the ball away out wide. Johnson tends to stay high when Tottenham are defending down the left, his ‘rest attack’ position, meaning he can be an outlet for a transition.
Son lays it off to Pape Matar Sarr, who immediately hits a channel ball for Dejan Kulusevski.
Johnson and Dominic Solanke make supporting runs. Here, Kulusevski’s left-footedness helps, because he goes on the outside of covering defender Mats Hummels. Meanwhile, Johnson starts a curved run inside left wing-back Angelino.
He meets Kulusevski’s low ball almost exactly on the penalty spot, and is helped by Solanke occupying a centre-back. Johnson, left-footed, uses the pace on the cross and hits an instep finish past Mile Svilar.
It’s a slight variation to a stock goal. The differences here are the run inside the wing-back and the slight deceleration on approach, as normally he goes full-pelt on the blindside towards the back post. This is the first time he’s scored that goal with his (non-dominant) left foot, too, and usually he’s even closer to goal than 12 yards out.
For example, the match-winner at home to Brighton & Hove Albion last season. Tottenham built up down the left and broke the press. James Maddison released Richarlison, with Son running beyond him. Johnson held a high-and-wide position on the right, in Pervis Estupinan’s blind spot.
Part of the beauty of the goal is its simplicity: it’s a straight-line run — which are the most common run types before scoring — but the details matter, timing especially. Typically, Johnson keeps himself in line with the ball and stays outside the width of the far post until the very last minute. It ensures he isn’t offside, and keeps him unmarked. Because he’s so fast, and gets up to speed very quickly over short distances, there’s no need to go early.
As Richarlison threads Son into a crossing position, Johnson accelerates and quickly makes up the ground on Estupinan.
He meets Son’s low cross on the six-yard line and fires it against the back of the net. He’s moving at such speed that his momentum takes him into the goalpost.
Another example: from the same end of the ground in the comeback win over Brentford in January. Having just equalised, Tottenham made a regain in their own half and Kulusevski launched the counter, releasing Timo Werner. He and Johnson start their runs from the same horizontal line.
Once more, he stays in line with the crosser and in Ben Mee’s blind spot. Werner uses good double speed, slowing down then speeding up again to hit the byline and escape Ethan Pinnock.
Johnson crashes the back post, with Werner’s low cross curling to meet his run almost on the goal line.
Johnson scored carbon-copy goals on two visits to Manchester this season. The first was at Old Trafford in September, after centre-back Micky van de Ven made an interception in the midfield third, dribbled it all the way to the penalty area and drilled a far-post cross for Johnson at the back post.
A lightning fast start from Tottenham ⚡
Micky van de Ven with an unbelievable run and he makes no mistake putting it on a plate for Brennan Johnson 💥 pic.twitter.com/8KubHjAm2U
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 29, 2024
The Wales international also crowned Tottenham’s recent 4-0 win away to Manchester City, when Werner picked up Jack Grealish’s misplaced pass. He counter-attacked, burned Kyle Walker for pace one-v-one, then pulled it across goal for Johnson to slide in.
“The biggest thing is a real discipline about the positions he takes up,” said Postecogolou when asked about Johnson’s recent form in his Friday press conference. “He is always in the right areas. The way we play, if you get yourself into the right areas then you get the benefit.
“It is easy to say — because of the way we play — but sometimes it takes great concentration and focus in those moments. On the weekend against City, he knew it was likely Timo (Werner) would be hitting that far-post and even last night that Kulusevski would hit a certain area — he is always there.”
Often these goals have been after regains, when defences are disjointed, which suits Tottenham as a collective and Johnson individually. Their nine goals from fast breaks are the most in the Premier League this season.
Though there are examples against settled defences, like in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa at the start of November.
Johnson scored the opener in a 1-1 draw away to West Ham last season. He was hugging the right touchline as Tottenham worked it through midfield, from Rodrigo Bentancur to inside full-back Destiny Udogie.
Johnson wanted an early pass from Bentancur, but he doesn’t spot the run and worked it out to Werner instead — the Nottingham Forest academy graduate often runs with his arms outstretched or aloft as Tottenham get into crossing positions down the left.
Once Werner is one-v-one against Vladimir Coufal, Johnson starts his run, ghosting in behind West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri.
Werner low cross from the byline; Johnson tap-in.
That move is an example of how Postecoglou sets his system up to progress play, with full-backs overloading opposition midfields, to generate winger-to-winger cutback scenarios. “Go watch Celtic, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama Marinos mate. I would love to be a right-winger in my teams and score bags of goals,” joked Postecoglou.
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Ten of Johnson’s Tottenham goals have come from within 12 yards of goal, and he’s scored seven times within the six-yard box in the Premier League since the start of last season — no player has more goals in that area, while Erling Haaland (11.6 from 38 shots) is the only player with a higher expected goals from six-yard box shots (Johnson’s 20 shots are worth 10.2xG).
Over the past calendar year, Johnson is below average among top-five league European wingers for touches, passes, crosses, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons. He showed a much more creative side last season (10 league assists, the joint-most of any Tottenham player) but this campaign he’s become a finishing wide forward.
The average Premier League winger, since the start of 2023-24, takes 41 per cent of their shots first time. Johnson is 20 per cent over that.
Postecoglou subbed him after 68 minutes against Roma, at which point he’d had the fewest touches of any Tottenham player (25), not attempted any dribbles, only crossed twice and not created any chances. Though he had six touches in the opposition box (of Tottenham’s players, only Kulusevski had more, with 10) and four shots (joint-most with Son).
Really, he’s a complete positional contrast to former Tottenham and Wales right-winger Gareth Bale. Johnson is an exception to the rule of wingers playing on the opposite side to their dominant foot (Bale is left-footed), and would match Bale for pace but is nowhere near as gifted a ball-striker or finisher.
Last season, Johnson had the third-biggest expected goals underperformance in the Premier League (-5.3). He’d started the campaign out on the left — his first Tottenham goal, away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, was the same type of back-post-crashing one-touch finish, just on the other side — before switching to the right.
Postecoglou has given him the kind of coaching that Pep Guardiola once did with Raheem Sterling, getting him into better positions (closer to goal, under less pressure) rather than trying to develop his ability to score trademark winger goals. Ironically, for Wales, Johnson wears No 9. Bale wore 11.
At 23, there’s plenty of time for Johnson to refine his shooting technique, however while Postecoglou has found a solution that suits his winger profiles, maximising a strength ought to be prioritised over developing weaknesses.
For a coach who is so systematically dogmatic, Postecoglou has shown plenty of individual adaptability, mixing Son and Richarlison as No 9 and left-winger last season, moving Kulusevski from right-wing to No 8 (which has made permanent space for Johnson) and changing Johnson’s position. It’s a player’s game, and some have trademarks — Johnson has found his.
(Top photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
