Brennan Johnson's Potential for the 2024/25 Season

The Scout's Analysis: Brennan Johnson's Potential for the 2024/25 Season

Brennan Johnson of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 14, 2024 in London, England(Image-Getty)

The Scout has been identifying players who could improve on their previous season's performances and have an even bigger impact in the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Among these players is Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson, whose performance data suggests he could be poised for a breakout season.

Initial Struggles and Slow Start

Brennan Johnson joined Tottenham Hotspur from Nottingham Forest last summer. Initially, he struggled to find his footing with Spurs. Johnson started in each of the first three matches of the season but failed to score or assist. Subsequently, he was named in the starting XI in only two of the next eight matches. By the end of the first 11 Gameweeks, he had managed just one assist, which came from a substitute appearance against Crystal Palace in Gameweek 10.

 Mid-Season Improvement

As Tottenham's first season under manager Ange Postecoglou progressed, Johnson's influence on the team increased significantly. From Gameweek 12 onwards, his performance saw a marked improvement:

- Assists:

 Johnson provided 11 assists from Gameweek 12, second only to Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, who had 12.

- Goals:

 He also scored five goals during this period.

- Goal Involvements:

This resulted in 16 goal involvements in the final 27 Gameweeks, a tally bettered by only seven other midfielders.

Johnson's impact was evident as he was directly involved in a goal every 121 minutes from Gameweek 12 onwards, compared to just one assist in 380 minutes before Gameweek 12.

Detailed Statistical Analysis

Shots and Chances:

Shots:

Johnson took 47 shots from Gameweek 12, with 41 of these being inside the box, second only to Son Heung-min among his teammates.

Big Chances:

He had 19 big chances, at least seven more than any other Spurs player, although he converted only 10.6% of his shots.

Creativity and Playmaking:

Key Passes:

Johnson made 42 key passes, just one less than Dejan Kulusevski, and both players created 11 big chances each.

Minutes Per Key Pass:

His frequency of key passes improved significantly, from 99 minutes per key pass in the first 11 Gameweeks to 47.4 minutes in the latter part of the season.

Goal Involvement:

- Johnson's goal involvement increased dramatically, contributing to 37% of Spurs' goals in the final 27 Gameweeks, compared to just 10% in the initial 11 Gameweeks.

 Comparison with Other Midfielders

The expected goals (xG) and expected assists (xA) data provide a clearer picture of Johnson's performance relative to other midfielders:

xG Per 90 Minutes:

 Johnson's xG of 0.45 was higher than that of teammate Son Heung-min (0.33) and was bettered by only five other midfielders.

xA Per 90 Minutes:

His xA of 0.17, combined with his xG, gave him an expected goal involvement (xGI) of 0.62 per 90 minutes. This ranked him eighth among midfielders in FPL, just behind Arsenal's Kai Havertz (0.63) and ahead of Son Heung-min (0.61).

 Conclusion

Brennan Johnson's all-round influence on Tottenham's attack grew significantly as the season progressed. The xGI data highlights his potential to become a key player in high-quality scoring situations. If Johnson can improve his finishing skills, there is a strong chance he could deliver double-figure returns for both goals and assists in the upcoming season. This makes him a player to watch in the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.