The Wales winger twice finished smartly in the first half but was denied the chance at a hat-trick after winning a 94th-minute penalty, with substitute Mathys Tel converting from the spot instead.
Mateus Fernandes’ had halved the deficit for Saints with a 90th-minute strike after Spurs sat back for most of the second half, presumably to try to conserve energy for Thursday’s crunch Europa League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Lucas Bergvall also had a goal disallowed in the first half for a fractional offside against Cristian Romero.
Here are three Spurs talking points from the match…
Spurs miss chance to put on a show
Spurs avoided a damaging slip-up but this was not a performance to bring back the feel-good factor, nor restore confidence in Ange Postecoglou’s floundering project.
Still, Spurs missed a chance to put on a show against Saints and were a little lucky not to be punished after a second half played entirely in first gear.
After Johnson’s double put Spurs firmly in control, they barely had a touch in Saints’ box after the break and had goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to thank for sharp stops from Kamaldeen Sulemana and Yukinari Sugawara before Fernandes scored.
It was an uninspiring showing in the circumstances, leading to a strangely subdued and restless atmosphere in north London.
That said, all that mattered for Spurs this weekend was stopping the rot and getting through Saints’ visit with no injuries, which they did.
Their judgement day will come on Thursday and in the subsequent decider in Germany a week later.
Strong team will have to go again on Thursday
Postecoglou has faced criticism in the recent past for rotating his side, including for the home defeat to Manchester City, which came a week before Europa League last-16 first leg against AZ Alkmaar. So there is a case that it would be unfair to criticise him for a lack of rotation against Saints.
Still, a glance at Postecoglou’s line-up suggested he might have been more concerned by avoiding a slip up in this game — and ensuring no further chances for frustrated fans to vent in his direction after what happened at Stamford Bridge on Thursday — than preparing for their season-defining quarter-final first leg in Europe.
The head coach made just three changes from the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea, with Pedro Porro, Ben Davies and Johnson coming in for Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert.
James Maddison, who has very rarely started two games in a week this season, kept his place and so too do did ageing captain Heung-min Son, who has tended to look jaded after quick turnarounds.
Postecoglou’s selection was vindicated by a solid result, as Spurs avoided a nightmare slip-up, but will it come at a cost?
Van de Ven will surely return to the side against Frankfurt but the majority of the XI against Saints will be playing a third game in seven days against the German side.
Given Southampton’s level, perhaps Postecoglou could have kept more players fresh for the biggest game of his Spurs tenure?
At the double: Brennan Johnson scored twice for Tottenham against Southampton
REUTERS
Odobert vs Johnson may be Postecoglou’s big call
Johnson’s well-taken double potentially gives Postecoglou a tricky call for Frankfurt.
The Wales winger has gone off the boil this year, and twice been hooked at half-time in recent matches (against Bournemouth and Fulham), while Odobert confirmed his position in the pecking order with a double in the decisive second-leg win over AZ last month.
But, with Odobert rested, Johnson put this game to bed by the interval with two canny finishes to take him to double figures for Premier League goals this season, before winning the late penalty by cannily drawing a foul from Welington.
It was slightly baffling that Tel felt entitled to deny Johnson the chance at a hat-trick from the spot, but maybe Postecoglou has established a clear pecking order of penalty takers.
The head coach now faces a choice between Johnson and Odobert against Frankfurt
Johnson is arguably a less exciting player but more of a goal threat (though his only goals this year have come against Tamworth, Ipswich and now Saints, suggesting he is less effective against good opponents), while Odobert, who replaced Son in the 56th-minute here, is exciting but raw.
