EPL: Son joins elite group with Spurs victory over Newcastle
Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min joined an elite crew of Premier League players with his late goal in the Lilywhites’ 4-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United in North London.
The South Korea international was in visible discomfort after Thursday’s home defeat to West Ham United, raising fears that he may have been forced to sit out the visit of the Magpies, but he was given the green light to line up at the weekend.
Prior to the visit of Newcastle, Tottenham had taken the lead in five successive Premier League games but did not go on to win any of them – a new competition record – taking just one point from a possible 15 in the process.
Once again, Spurs drew first blood in North London through Destiny Udogie, who received Son’s cutback to score his first-ever Premier League goal for Tottenham, who were punished for failing to increase their advantage against West Ham in midweek.
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However, there would be no repeat of their prior collapses, as Richarlison doubled Spurs’ lead before the break – netting a top-flight goal with his feet for the first time in Tottenham colours – and he subsequently doubled his tally on the hour mark.
With just five minutes of normal time remaining, Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was penalised for bringing down Son, who dusted himself down and slotted home his side’s fourth of the evening to put the cherry on the icing on the cake.
Joelinton managed to wipe out Tottenham’s clean sheet in added time, but the Brazilian’s strike did little to dampen the hosts’ joy, and Son also entered an exclusive party by stroking home from 12 yards.
The 31-year-old’s penalty was his 10th Premier League goal of the campaign, marking the eighth successive year in which the former Bayer Leverkusen man has reached double figures in the Premier League.
Only six players have also managed 10+ goals in at least eight consecutive seasons, with Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney doing so in 11 years on the trot, while Frank Lampard achieved the feat in 10 successive campaigns.
Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane each netted 10+ goals in nine straight Premier League campaigns, while Thierry Henry and Sadio Mane join Son in the eight seasons brigade.
The Tottenham captain was deployed on the left on Sunday to accommodate Richarlison’s return in a central role, and Postecoglou believes that his “leadership” shone through in North London.
“I thought Sonny really set the tone for us early on. Whenever he got the ball he was really positive with it. That’s what you need from leadership and I think the rest of the lads fed off that and we were a lot more threatening in that front third than we have been,” Postecoglou said in his post-game press conference.
“With Sonny, looking at the last few weeks, most of our chances and opportunities have fallen to the wide players. He’s still our best finisher and I thought getting him back on the left would give us some more avenues to score goals. As I said, Sonny set the tone early on and I think the rest of the lads fed off him.”
Fifth-placed Spurs have now opened up a three-point lead over Manchester United in the table, but Postecoglou’s men still have a seven-point gap to make up to leaders Liverpool.
The Lilywhites have four full days to recuperate before they head to Nottingham Forest on Friday evening.