Tottenham: Son Heung-min can be Newcastle tormentor as he looks to emulate Mohamed Salah
Son Heung-min has the potential to join an exclusive club on Saturday (13 April), as Tottenham face Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
The South Korean has been in exemplary form since Harry Kane departed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer, now carrying most of the goalscoring pressure under Ange Postecoglou.
Son has risen to the task, boasting 15 goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season, five more goals than second-place Richarlison, and two assists more than Pedro Porro, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson.
Among strikers in the top five European leagues, Son only ranks in the top 75 percentile for goals, while his assist record is far more impressive, ranking in the top 96 percentile for that alone. [FBref]
As one of Spurs’ biggest threats, if not the biggest, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle team will already be having nightmares at the thought of Son’s prolific pace and goalscoring ability.
However, it is Son’s knack for assisting that could etch his name into the footballing history books on Saturday. In his last outing, a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, he notched an assist while maintaining a 100 per cent shot accuracy and 82 per cent pass accuracy. [FotMob]
A single assist would see him become just the sixth player to register double figures in both goals and assist in three different top-flight campaigns, joining Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Eric Cantona and Didier Drogba – quite the six-aside team. [talkSPORT]
Can Son Heung-min fire pass his way into the history books as Tottenham face Newcastle United?
Of course, every footballer will look back at their career and focus on the individual accolades as well as the team achievements, but Postecoglou will be entirely focused on the three points against the Magpies.
Joint on 60 points with Aston Villa, Spurs will be eager not to drop out of the Champions League places in the Premier League table, while they could also close the gap on Manchester City in third.
It has certainly been a season of adjustment in the Australian’s first in charge, though Son’s performances have remained consistent throughout, acting as a true leader for Spurs.
The 31-year-old is an example for his teammates, ranking in the top 97 percentile for pass completion, the top 94 percentile for progressive passes, and the top 92 percentile for progressive carries. [FBref]
If that was not enough, he also ranks in the top 81 percentile for interceptions, showcasing his suitability to threaten on the break for Tottenham, rather than hold the ball up like Kane would have done.
In other Tottenham news, a Bryan Gil transfer decision has been made in North London after news emerged from Spain.
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