Ange Postecoglou has downplayed any suggestion of tension in the Tottenham camp after a late-game penalty led to frustration for Brennan Johnson during Spurs’ 3-1 win over Southampton.
With the game nearing its end and Tottenham leading 2-1, Johnson—who had already scored twice—won a penalty after being brought down by Southampton defender Wellington. Naturally, he wanted the chance to complete his first-ever Premier League hat-trick. But what unfolded next sparked plenty of discussion.
Instead of Johnson stepping up, the ball was taken by Pedro Porro, passed to stand-in skipper Cristian Romero, and finally handed to Mathys Tel. The young forward, on loan from Bayern Munich and still looking for his first league goal, converted the penalty past Aaron Ramsdale.
The decision left Johnson visibly disappointed. After the final whistle, he was seen being consoled by teammates including Heung-min Son and James Maddison.
Postecoglou plays it cool
Speaking about the situation, Spurs boss Postecoglou dismissed any drama and focused on the result:
“We scored, we won. Delighted. It's incredible. It's the one bit. Literally turning gold into crap when it's Tottenham. If we're 2-1 up and we get a penalty late on, I want our best penalty taker to take it. People talk about a winning mentality and scoring late on is."
The manager made it clear that the team’s focus should remain on getting the job done rather than who takes the spotlight.
Johnson explains his reaction
After the match, Johnson shared his perspective in an interview with the club's media team. He admitted his frustration but also showed maturity in how he handled the moment.
“It's only normal for me to want to take the penalty," Johnson said. “There's only a certain amount of talking to do before it gets quite messy. I've been in the situation before when I've had people wanting to take the ball off me and it kind of unsettles you a little bit. I knew the game was pretty much done but still, I didn't want to unsettle anyone or start any disagreements.”
Team harmony over individual milestones
While it was an emotional moment for Johnson, the team still walked away with all three points and another step forward in their top-four chase. Tel got his first Premier League goal, and Postecoglou will be hoping the players continue to rally together as the season nears its climax.
2 Comments (last comment by Adem)
First read message
By Adem 9 Apr 2025 13:59
It was embarrassing actually. I feel like Johnson should have take the penalty to get his hattrick. I mean Tel is just a loan player..
By identty 9 Apr 2025 13:57
Simple, if Tel is the taker then he takes it. Tell that to Johnson
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