Dom Solanke responds as James Maddison is wowed by Tottenham teammate in new post
Brennan Johnson overtook James Maddison as Tottenham Hotspur’s top scorer this season with a brace against Southampton on Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou’s side finally returned to winning ways in after four league games without victory, condemning Southampton to the earliest relegation in Premier League history with seven games still to play.
Johnson’s first-half double left Southampton with a mountain to climb, and though Mateus Fernandes pulled one back for the visitors late on, Mathys Tel’s injury-time penalty put the result beyond doubt.
Tottenham will hardly be over-celebrating a victory over a doomed Saints side who have suffered 25 defeats in 31 matches, having moved back to 14th in the table, unlikely to make much upward progress.
Brennan Johnson message sent amid Tottenham milestone
Johnson breaking into double-figures of Premier League goals represents a significant landmark for the Welshman, who has struggled with consistency this season like so many of his Tottenham team-mates.
The 23-year-old’s tenth and eleventh league goals of the campaign take him to 16 in all competitions across just 28 starts; Maddison teeing up his second against Saints with a cushioned header across goal.
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow/Red Cards |
| James Maddison | 40 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Brennan Johnson | 41 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 5 |
While Johnson is yet to post on social media as he closes in on his career-best goals record of 19 for Nottingham Forest in 2021-22, Maddison did so, uploading on Instagram (6 April).
Maddison’s post was liked by team-mates Djed Spence and Dominic Solanke, with the Spurs playmaker saying: “See you all Thursday”, tagging Johnson with an ‘A’ and handshake emoji in reference to his assist for the Welshman.
Maddison making the step up when needed for Tottenham
Thursday sees Spurs take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; Europe being the last chance Postecoglou has of saving their season.
Maddison was level with Johnson at the top of Tottenham’s Premier League scoring charts ahead of facing Saints, but the England international still isn’t fully trusted by Postecoglou in the biggest games.
Out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad and not the central figure many expected he’d be, Maddison needs to make good on his message to Tottenham’s fans by delivering on the biggest stage against Frankfurt.