Johnson nets double as Spurs secure commanding victory, relegating Southampton.

Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed as Brennan Johnson scored a brace to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a 3-1 triumph in North London.

Before the match, Tottenham fans expressed their frustrations with chairman Daniel Levy through protests, while the hosts produced the first real chance against a Southampton team well aware of their precarious league position after Wolverhampton’s victory the previous day.

A quick reflex save from former Arsenal goalkeeper prevented Cristian Romero’s header from Pedro Porro’s corner, and moments later, Porro himself was involved at the other end, directing a close-range effort from Kamaldeen Sulemana onto the post.

That miss proved costly for Southampton when Johnson scored to give Tottenham a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute, unleashing a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner after receiving a precise cut-back from Djed Spence.

Lucas Bergvall, the Swedish midfielder, thought he had found the net to record his first Premier League goal, only for VAR to rule it out for offside during Romero’s knockdown following a lengthy review.

However, VAR could not stop Johnson from scoring again shortly before half-time; he expertly slotted home past Ramsdale from a looping header by James Maddison.

Having taken a commanding lead into the break, Ange Postecoglou’s team struggled to maintain their first-half intensity in the second half, with thoughts shifting towards conserving energy for their upcoming UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Nonetheless, Spurs still posed a threat, with Dominic Solanke forcing Ramsdale into a full-stretch save to deny a powerful strike.

Late in the game, Southampton found a glimmer of hope when Mateus Fernandes scored after calmly controlling a cross with his chest before firing the ball past Guglielmo Vicario.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their brief optimism was snuffed out by Mathys Tel’s penalty in stoppage time, awarded after a careless challenge by Welington, sealing Southampton’s sixth defeat in seven matches. The relegated Saints now need one point to avoid equalling the Premier League’s lowest-ever points tally.