Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min (centre) is congratulated by teammates after his purpose in opposition to Fulham within the Premier League on October 23, 2023
| Photo Credit: Reuters
With a medical end and a neat help, Son Heung-min delivered his greatest impression of Harry Kane to propel Tottenham again to the top of the Premier League on Monday.
The 2-0 win over Fulham confirmed as soon as once more that Tottenham can thrive with out the departed Kane this season.
Especially with Son, the participant who has changed Kane because the staff’s heart ahead, in such prolific type.
Both of Tottenham’s objectives got here from the identical supply — Fulham defender Calvin Bassey freely giving possession when passing out from the again beneath stress — and Son had a key position in every of them.
In the 36th minute, the South Korea captain was available to gather a go from Richarlison after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg intercepted Bassey’s clearance. Son confirmed nice footwork to minimize inside, round protecting defender Tim Ream, and curl a shot into the far nook from the sting of the world.
The second purpose, scored by playmaker James Maddison within the 54th, was comparable as Hojbjerg once more stopped a go from Bassey reaching its meant goal. Bassey is a left-footed participant who was deployed Monday as a right-sided heart again and he misplaced each passes along with his proper foot.
Hojbjerg stabbed a first-time go to Son, whose deft lay-off went into the trail of Maddison and the England playmaker slotted dwelling beneath former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
“That was what won us the game tonight, the work without the ball,” Tottenham supervisor Ange Postecoglou mentioned. “Both our goals came from that.”
Tottenham regained the two-point lead with which the staff entered the weekend and remained unbeaten after 9 video games, together with north London rival Arsenal. It has 23 factors beneath Postecoglou, who took over as Tottenham supervisor within the offseason, and that is essentially the most any coach has gained from his first 9 video games in cost within the competitors.
Kane is likely to be pouring within the objectives in Germany — he has 9 in eight video games for Bayern Munich within the Bundesliga — however Son is doing the identical for Tottenham since being pushed up entrance by Postecoglou, having began the season on the left wing.
Son has seven objectives, the identical as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and solely two behind top scorer Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
Maddison has additionally slotted in seamlessly since becoming a member of from relegated Leicester within the offseason. That was his first dwelling purpose, after scoring twice on the highway, and he celebrated by performing a darts pose alongside Son.
“Coming to a club like Tottenham, which is obviously a bigger club in stature than Leicester, the scrutiny, the responsibility, the pressure goes up a notch,” Maddison mentioned. “I love that. I thrive off that — 60,000 fans were here today and I love these occasions.”
Fulham stayed in 13th place on 11 factors.
“At the end of the day, the goals we gave away are identical,” mentioned Ream, Fulham’s captain. “Players at this level will punish you if you give the ball away in those areas.”