Tottenham forward Son Heung-min makes ‘world-class’ return against Brighton
Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson might have been the goalscorer, but it was Son Heung-min who demonstrated his “world-class” quality against Brighton.
Spurs moved back into the Premier League’s top four with a 2-1 victory over the Seagulls at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 10 February as Johnson netted a last-minute winner from the bench.
Ange Postecoglou’s side weren’t at their best, with Micky van de Ven in particular enduring a difficult afternoon, but there was still plenty for the Australian to be positive about, in addition to the three points.
Son and Yves Bissouma both made their returns to the first-team fold with the pair introduced off the bench as part of a triple substitution in the 62nd minute.
And it was the former who made an impact as he set up the match-winner in the 96th minute.
Speaking via BBC Sport after full-time (10 February), Postecoglou was full of praise for his captain.
“It’s fair to say that we are still a work in progress but we had a world-class player in Son (Heung-min), who makes the most difficult ball look simple to set up Brennan (Johnson).
“Going into the game we looked at the squad and knew we had the ability to change it up. It’s fair to say that helped”.
Tottenham will be delighted by the return of Son
Son would have been crushed when South Korea were knocked out of the AFC Asian Cup at the semi-final stage following a 2-0 defeat to Jordan on Tuesday 6 February.
However, it appears as if this was a very important result for Spurs because, without Son, they likely wouldn’t have beaten Brighton.
Johnson will steal the headlines with the goal, but he was left with a tap-in thanks to the hard work of Son who had made a lung-busting run down the left flank before playing a pinpoint pass toward the far post.
In addition to this vital contribution, his overall performance demonstrated just how important he is.
Johnson only completed 67 per cent of his passes, and although he won two of his three ground duels and 100 per cent of his aerial duels, overall he made very little impact on the game until his decisive touch at the death (Sofascore).
Son on the other hand completed 92 per cent of his passes, with two of those key. In addition, he created one big chance, the assist for Johnson in the 96th minute.
Featuring for Spurs for the first time in over a month, Son picked up right where he left off.
The 31-year-old scored in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve, his last appearance for Tottenham, which took his Premier League goals tally to 12 for the season, with six assists to add to that impressive haul.
As per fbref, he ranks in the top four per cent of Premier League forwards this season for the number of progressive passes he has both played (4.48 per 90) and received (9.80 per 90).
If Spurs are to finish in the top four this season, Son staying fit will be crucial, and his return to the team couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou will be left frustrated with one 100 per cent Spurs ace still weeks away from making a full recovery.
For more exclusive Tottenham updates, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.