By Ken Ferris
IPSWICH, England (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur are finally back on the winning trail after a nightmare season filled with injuries and their Welsh winger Brennan Johnson showed them what they had been missing with two goals at Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday.
Johnson picked up a calf injury against Arsenal in mid-January but returned to the starting line-up at Portman Road to score twice in the first half as Spurs enjoyed a 4-1 win for their third victory in a row and best run since December 2023.
Tottenham’s injury-hit side lost in the League Cup semi-finals to Liverpool and the FA Cup fourth round at Aston Villa but still have plenty to play for, with a place in the last 16 of the Europa League if they can beat AZ Alkmaar next month.
“We have always tried to believe,” said Johnson. “When we have all the players back, we won the last two Premier League games and that’s something we wanted to keep in mind. We played good football (against Ipswich) but also defended well.
“When we have these experienced players back we know how to get on to the ball. They beat us last time and that was in our heads because we didn’t want to lose today,” he added, referring to Tottenham’s 2-1 home defeat by Ipswich earlier this season.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was delighted to have the Welshman’s scoring touch back, especially with the club’s main striker Dominic Solanke still out injured.
“We were always a threat. Sonny (Son Heung-min) was unplayable in that first half (and) so great to get Brennan back. He scores so many goals for us in those areas.
“He knows when to arrive at the right time. He’s really clinical. He has missed a lot of football.
“From our perspective, these last two weeks have given us a breather and reset our football. I’m pleased the boys have embraced it.”
Johnson’s father David is fondly remembered for his goals when he played for Ipswich in the late 1990s, with 55 in 131 league games for Town, but his son was focused on only one thing.
“He had a great time here. He holds the club in high accounts. For me, it was about getting the three points,” said 23-year-old Wales international Johnson.
“It’s Tottenham Hotspur — we want to be as high as we can. We want to get right up the league.”
The win left Spurs in 12th place with 33 points and looking up the table after they had drifted towards the bottom.
(Reporting by Ken Ferris; Editing by Clare Fallon)
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