View: Son Heung-min sends Tottenham supporters message with South Korea display
While all was doom and gloom heading into the international break for Tottenham, Son Heung-min’s recent performance for South Korea will act as a reminder to Spurs supporters that there remains hope.
With the likes of Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma all unavailable for the visit of Unai Emery’s high-flying Aston Villa on Sunday 26 November, it would be hard to blame Tottenham fans for not feeling very confident.
Ange Postecoglou faces the biggest test of his short time in charge of the north London club so far, with few options to turn to in what is a very depleted squad at this moment in time.
Richarlison is another player who remains sidelined, and Dejan Kulusevski’s recent performance for Sweden, during which he failed to convert any of his five crosses (Sofascore), would not have offered much in the way of belief in Tottenham’s attacking options right now, especially after their toothless performance against Wolves.
Nonetheless, Son’s display during South Korea’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier with China will have reminded those deflated supporters that the club still have plenty of individual quality within their squad.
South Korea ran out 3-0 victors against China, with Spurs’ captain playing a part in each goal, scoring the first two before assisting the third.
The 31-year-old gave his nation the lead from the penalty spot after just 11 minutes, before doubling that lead on the stroke of half-time, heading in an inswinging corner at the near post.
He teed up Seung-hyun Jung for the third with moments to play, capping off an impressive performance, which was defined by much more than just his three-goal contributions.
Son gave the goalkeeper plenty to think about, registering four shots on target overall, missing one big chance to seal his hat trick. In addition to this, he completed the one dribble he attempted, 85 per cent of his passes, with four of those being key, and provided two accurate crosses into the box (Sofascore).
His defensive contributions were also solid, as he won three of his four ground duels and the one aerial duel which he contested. By the end of the match, he had earned himself a 9.5 rating, which was comfortably higher than any other player on the pitch.
One delightful bit of skill, shared to X by Alex, shows Son playing an innovative rabona pass into the penalty area, demonstrating the confidence the striker is playing with at this moment in time after his fast start to the season.
While there has been very little to write home about from the performances of Spurs’ international stars during the current international break, Son’s all-action display will certainly lift the mood of the Tottenham supporters ahead of Sunday’s crunch clash with top-four rivals Aston Villa.
In other Tottenham news, one player linked with an exit from the club has harmed his chances with a poor performance while on international duty.