Tottenham Hotspur rounded off the first phase of the new Premier League season with a devastating 5-2 victory over Burnley last weekend, with that brutal performance having epitomised the front-foot, attacking brand of football that manager Ange Postecoglou is hoping to implement at N17.
Despite losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich last month, the Lilywhites appear to have coped admirably so far as the Englishman’s former partner-in-crime Heung-min Son bagged a hat-trick at Turf Moor, with the attacking unit having clicked into gear as summer signing Manor Solomon also provided two assists.
The Lilywhites are also set to be bolstered even further when play resumes following the international break as deadline day arrival, Brennan Johnson, will be available to feature following his £47.5m move from Nottingham Forest, thus adding another excitement element to Postecoglou’s flourishing forward line.
How many goals did Brennan Johnson score for Nottingham Forest?
There may well be concern at having forked out a rather sizeable fee for a player now in just his second season of top-flight football, although the 22-year-old did prove instrumental in helping to steer his former club to safety last term, scoring eight times and registering three assists in 38 league games.
Prior to the that, the Wales international had contributed 19 goals and nine assists in all competitions during the 2021/22 campaign as he proved a pivotal figure in the Tricky Trees’ successful promotion charge, with the aim now to replicate such displays on a consistent basis in the top tier.
With 29 goals and 12 assists under his belt in 109 games in all competitions for his former employers, Johnson appears to offer a real attacking weapon either from the flanks or in a central role, proving a real handful due to his “frightening pace” – as per former international teammate, Joe Allen.
Also described as a “speed demon” by journalist Ethan Lamb, the one-time Lincoln City could potentially come into the side to replace Dejan Kulusevski on the right flank, with the Sweden international notable enduring a mixed time of it last term after scoring just twice in the league.
That should ensure that Johnson is able to strike up an exciting partnership with Pedro Porro down that side, with the attack-minded pair able to get the best out of each other.
How good is Pedro Porro?
It is hard to deny what was a tricky first few months for the Spaniard in north London following his initial loan arrival from Sporting CP in January, with the 23-year-old notably described as “so bad it’s unbelievable” by former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood following his debut.
However, a strong start to the new campaign has illustrated just why Daniel Levy and co have invested £40m in his talents, with the new permanent addition producing a stunning assist to find Son for the South Korean’s third of the day against the Clarets.
That impact from the attacking full-back should show that he can regularly deliver the goods to Johnson ahead of him, with the one-time Manchester City asset notably ranking in the top 8% among his European peers for assists per 90 as a sign of his creative spark.
The £85k-per-week ace – who chipped in with 20 assists in 98 games for his former employers – has been described as a “top player” by teammate Ben Davies, yet help could be needed to improve his defensive contribution, having been ‘at fault’ for the opening goal against Vincent Kompany’s men, as per 90min’s Graeme Bailey.
A livewire figure such as Johnson should be able to help ease those woes, however, with the Nottingham native notably ranking in the top 10% among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles made per 90, thus indicating his elite work ethic.
If the former Forest man can win the ball up high up the pitch it should also allow Porro to get forward more regularly, thus ensuring just what a dream duo it could be for Postecoglou’s side.
