Son Heung-min set a milestone that none of the Premier League (PL) players have achieved this season.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Brentford 3-1 in the fifth round of the 2024-25 Premier League (PL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tottenham, England, at 11 p.m. on the 21st (Korea time). With this, Tottenham broke its two-game losing streak and ranked 10th with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses (7 points) in the league.
Ahead of the game, strong criticism was poured out against Son Heung-min. It was because of the defeat against Arsenal in the last round. At that time, Tottenham lost 0-1 at home helplessly.
Son’s interview after the game ended became a big controversy. “After the North London derby, Son’s post-match interview surprised fans,” the British newspaper Give Me Sports reported.
Son Heung-min said, “We dominated the game, and the soccer was there. We lost points in set pieces again. We were like that last season, and we are really disappointed. We lost points in set pieces again today because we lacked details. This is the detail that changes the result in a big game.”
“The fans must have been very disappointed. We have to improve 100 percent. It’s a tough moment and we have to unite,” he said.
Finally, he bowed his head, saying, “We are in the final third, but the players have to take responsibility for scoring goals. It is the most difficult part of football, and we have to make the right decisions. We will rebound strongly. We have a long way to go.”
Fans were furious at Son’s interview. Give Me Sports said, “This interview sparked a lot of reactions on social media. Fans flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to ignore Son’s comment. One fan said, “Running the ball is different from governing the game,” “Certainly not a better team,” and “I was deceived by the defeat.”
“Surprisingly, it wasn’t just rival fans who criticized Son. Tottenham fans also said, ‘We can’t say we dominated the game. We all have eyes and what a poor performance!’ and added, ‘We are tired of hearing these words. It doesn’t matter whether we dominate or not! If you can’t win the game, it means nothing.’
Global media “GoalCom” also delivered fans’ reactions. The media said, “Son Heung-min’s post-match remarks sparked anger among some Tottenham fans. They criticize him for not showing the leadership he needs as a captain.”
“One fan described Son Heung-min as a ‘shame as a captain’, and another said, ‘It’s not winning to dominate, you stupid, he’s the worst captain we’ve ever had. His performance is a long way off, and he’s been like that for months.’ In addition, there is no leadership at all on the field, and the captaincy should be left to someone with voice and authority. Some fans pointed out that Son Heung-min should be a person who can motivate the team, but that’s not the sense of captaincy,” he said.
In the meantime, the possibility of Son replacing the captaincy was raised. “There is a possibility that Tottenham will replace Son with another member as captain. Son has not signed a new contract yet and has no will to share the future with Tottenham,” the U.K.’s Football Fancast reported on Tuesday.
Son is currently under contract with Tottenham until June 2025. With the option of a one-year extension, he can stay with Tottenham until June 2026, if he invokes it. However, if Son leaves afterwards, Tottenham will have to select another captain.
The media explained, “Goaltender Guglielmo Vicario will replace Son Heung-min as captain. If Son Heung-min leaves in 2026, Tottenham will need a new captain. Vicario has been impressive overall since moving from Empoli to Tottenham last summer.”
“Tottenham can use Vicario as their future captain. This is similar to the way former No. 1 Hugo Lloris, who has been captain for a long time, has been captain for many years. Tottenham wants to make him their new Lloris and plans to captain him for the next season,” he added.
On top of that, players who used to play for Tottenham gave sharp criticism. Tim Sherwood criticized Son’s performance. “His performance on the day was one of his worst. He is a scorer with many goals in the North London derby, but today was not his day,” he said on the “Premier League Productions.”
The Boot Room also agreed with the comment. Media outlets reported that “Son Heung-min did not manage the game. Sherwood is right. Son did not play a big role in the weekend match against Arsenal. In fact, Tottenham’s entire offense team failed to display good performance against Arsenal, and as a result, Son hardly got a chance.”
Jamie O’Hara even told TalkSport in the U.K. after the match against Brentford, “I feel like I’ve given up on Son. I feel like everyone and the fans have turned their back on him. The true fans are the ones. He is not doing it right anymore.”
He added, “He lost quality in the Final Third. He was a great player, an incredible player. He was a great player for Tottenham. But when I see him now, do you have sharpness and sharpness? I don’t think so.”
Despite various criticisms, Son played against Brentford. Son led the team’s attack by playing left wing forward again on the day. He displayed vigorous movement and dedication. On the day, Son continued to poke passes to his teammates, creating chances. 먹튀검증
He created his first assist of the season. At the 28th minute of the first half, James Maddison cut the ball in the midfield and connected it to Son. With the opponent team’s defense not properly equipped, Son broke through to the center and sent a pass to the opposite side. Brennan Johnson, who caught the ball, fired a bold shot ahead of one of the defenders to score his team’s second goal. The score was recorded with the help of Son.
Son is not the only player in the team. He contributed to the netting goal by making multiple assists.
Son, who accumulated two assists on the day, is set to make a new history. He has become the second most assists in Tottenham history. With 64 assists, Son has become the sole second-ranked player, surpassing Christian Eriksen’s record of 62 assists. Darren Anderton topped the list with 67 assists. Son also ranked 18th overall in the history of the Premier League. He tied Gareth Berry and Alan Shearer, and surpassed Matt Le Tissier and Raheem Sterling (with 63 assists).
Son will also have his only record this season. “He recorded seven key passes against Brentford, and no player in this season’s PL has created such a record,” said the soccer statistics media “Huscoordcom.” “He created seven chances against Brentford and recorded two assists. It is the first time since the game against Burnley in February 2021 that Son has posted seven key passes and two assists. He is a leader.”
