Even on a bad day, it was still a good day.
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Leeds United 4-1 in the 38th round of the 2022-23 English Premier League at Elland Road in West Yorkshire, England, in the early hours of Monday (Sept. 29). Son Heung-min assisted Harry Kane’s opening goal in the second minute of the first half to earn his 20th offensive point of the season.
With the win, Tottenham moved to 60 points (18 wins, 6 draws, 14 losses). However, seventh-place Aston Villa beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 in a match played at the same time. In the end, it was Villa, with 61 points (18 wins, 7 draws, and 13 losses), who took home the UEFA Europa Confederations League (UECL) ticket for seventh place in the league.
While the team’s performance was certainly disappointing, Son’s final assist of the season was priceless. It was his seventh consecutive season with 20 or more offensive points. That’s 10 goals and six assists in 36 Premier League games, two goals in eight UEFA Champions League (UCL) games, and two goals in three English FA Cup games 먹튀검증.
It’s all the more significant because he’s been unusually poor this season. His first goal of the season didn’t come until September. He exploded for a comeback hat-trick against Leicester City in the eighth round of the league. In October, he scored a two-goal thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in the fourth leg of the UCL group stage.
Then came the silence again. His fourth goal didn’t come until January. It was a comeback goal against Crystal Palace in the 19th round. He followed that up with a two-goal blast against Preston in the FA Cup fourth round.
But when he couldn’t continue his scoring streak, he was dropped to the bench. It was a kind of ‘shock therapy’. Undeterred, Son scored his fifth goal in the 24th round against West Ham, just four minutes after coming on as a substitute.
From March to April, he dominated the offense. Starting with a goal against Nottingham Forest in round 27 and ending with a goal against Liverpool in round 34, he totaled five goals and two assists. Reached double figures in the league with 10 goals. Was one of the top scorers in the Premier League last season.
Had a particularly difficult season. Unusual amount of criticism from local media. He was a regular starter, but was briefly relegated to the bench. Despite this, he made history by scoring 20 or more offensive points for the seventh year in a row. Just as the ground hardens after rain, the team bounced back in the face of adversity.