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Thomas Frank will be assessing his Tottenham players as they return from international duty over the coming days, with Sunday's North London Derby against Arsenal to come
Brennan Johnson's impact at Tottenham last season perhaps does not get the recognition it deserves.
The winger was Spurs' top goalscorer in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign with 18 goals in 53 appearances. The Welshman also managed seven assists in that period, which means he ended the season with 25 goal contributions. Not bad at all, all things considered.
Despite that, the 23-year-old has his critics. Since signing from Nottingham Forest in a £47.5million deal in the summer of 2023, some question the Welsh international's end product and ability to make the right decision consistently.
The signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham in the summer has meant Johnson no longer is a guaranteed starter, although both players have played a fair bit of football already this season due to their versatility.
With Johnson scoring four goals for Spurs in 17 appearances heading into the November international break, the former Forest man added another goal to his name in Wales' 7-1 demolition of North Macedonia in Cardiff on Tuesday. Captain Harry Wilson scored a hat-trick, with David Brooks, Johnson, Daniel James and Nathan Broadhead also on the scoresheet as Wales secured their place in the World Cup play-offs.
The win means Wales will play at home in their play-off semi-final, with the match to be played at Cardiff City Stadium on March 26. “That’s massive. The fans really get us through games and were amazing again," Fulham star Wilson said after the match.
“When we conceded in the first half to make it 2-1, their response to that goal gave us a boost, and Brennan (Johnson) produces an amazing goal to give us that breathing space again. From then onwards we were the dominant team.”
Receiving the ball on the left hand side, Johnson dribbled inside before unleashing a fierce strike which found the top right corner. It was a moment of magic from the Tottenham man and Thomas Frank will be hoping he can do that on a more frequent basis, starting with Sunday's North London Derby against Arsenal.
With Dejan Kulusevski out injured and there being doubts over the fitness of Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani, Johnson may well find himself in the starting line-up against the Gunners at the weekend.
The winger should be in a confident mood after his performance for his country and Frank has already outlined what his biggest strengths are. “I think one of Brennan’s big strengths is the ability to arrive in the right areas. That’s a key strength, and the ability to score goals is quite good," the Dane said.
“I agree, I think he was positive when he came on the pitch (against Monaco). I think he had the biggest chance we had. He arrived in some good areas, he also worked hard in the recovery runs which he needs to do. So, yes, that is his key strength.”
Tottenham's players will likely arrive back at Hotspur Way on Wednesday and Thursday and all involved at the club will be preparing for Sunday's huge clash against Arsenal. Johnson will be hoping he is not only involved from the start, but can also make an impact just like he did with Wales on Tuesday.
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