Tottenham begin pre-season with win at Hearts as Brennan Johnson scores in Scotland

Premier League side Tottenham started gearing up for the 2024/25 campaign with a victorious pre-season opener in Scotland against SPL side Hearts, efforting to a 5-1 result highlighted by a first-half finish from Brennan Johnson.

As starting lineups were announced, Spurs fans were buoyed by the unveiling of a strong XI, featuring first-team regulars such as Heung-Min Son, James Maddison and Yves Bissouma.

There were also some quirks from Ange Postecoglou, as midfielder Oliver Skipp saw himself deployed as a central defender, bumped out of the middle by new teenage signing Archie Gray. Former U.S. youth international Brandon Austin, 25, was deployed in goal, with regular starter Guglielmo Vicario having served as Italy's backup in Euro 2024.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, it was a hardly convincing first-half performance from Tottenham against last year's third-place finisher in the Scottish top flight. But the victory should give the site a platform off which to springboard.

The opener came just before halftime, as Maddison played a one-two down the left which worked space for a cross. As the ball fizzed along the upper edge of the six-yard box, Johnson found himself on the end for the close-range smash.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Spurs, though, as they were carved open on numerous occasions in the first half, only to see Hearts striker Kyosuke Tagawa whiff on a pair of golden opportunities to score, including one from point-blank range.

Tottenham deployed an entirely new XI for the second half, and the substitutes gifted Hearts an equalizer just seconds after the restart. Spurs defender Emerson Royal gave it away just outside his own penalty area attempting to play out of the back, and Hearts substitute Lawrence Shankland found the net soon after entering the pitch.

Tottenham would restore the lead shortly thereafter, however, as 19-year-old Will Lankshear finished off a chance created by a scything Djed Spence run up the gut.

Just past the hour mark, Tottenham took a two-goal lead on a cool finish from 16-year-old England youth international Mikey Moore. The youngster showed why he's one of the best young talents in England , earlier this season becoming the youngest-ever Spurs debutant when he took the field against Man City back in May.

Spence would keep it going with the fourth for Spurs in the 72nd minute, and from there, Spurs controlled nearly the entire stretch run, running away with the match throughout the second half. In the 86th minute, Ashley Phillips got the finishing touch to a rebound after Dane Scarlett forced a save with a header.

Spurs will visit QPR on Saturday in their next pre-season fixture before jetting off for a tour of Asia, with matches against Vissel Kobe, a K-League XI, and then Bayern Munich before returning home for a second game against the German club at home. Their Premier League season begins on August 19 against Leicester City on the road.