As bad as Son: Ange told he must now drop 5/10 Spurs dud who lost the ball 13x vs Leicester
Tottenham Hotspur began their Premier League journey with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City, a result that, while not disastrous, certainly fell short of expectations. The match was a mixed bag for Ange Postecoglou’s side, who have their sights set on returning to the Champions League this season. However, to achieve this goal, they must become far more efficient and clinical in their offensive play.
There were some positive takeaways from the match, but they were overshadowed by several underwhelming performances, including that of club captain Son Heung-min. Despite being one of the Premier League’s most accomplished wingers and a modern-day great, Son appeared to be a shadow of his usual self on the night.
The South Korean star, typically a reliable and dynamic presence on the pitch, struggled mightily against Leicester. He was frequently wasteful with the ball, failed to generate high-quality chances, and generally seemed out of sync with the pace of the game. It was a puzzling display from a player of his caliber, leaving many to wonder what went wrong.
Amos Murphy, a journalist for the Express, was not impressed with Son’s performance either, awarding him a meager 4/10. Murphy criticized Son for failing to connect with the rest of Tottenham’s forwards and for disrupting promising attacking opportunities on multiple occasions. While this assessment might seem harsh, Son’s statistics from the game provide further evidence of his struggles. In 89 minutes of play, Son neither scored nor assisted, registering an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.03. He managed only one blocked shot, completed just 85% of his passes, delivered one cross, lost possession 13 times, was dribbled past three times, and lost six duels.
All in all, it was a dismal outing for the captain, and he was not alone in his underwhelming performance. Brennan Johnson, operating on the opposite wing, also had a night to forget.
Johnson, who was given the chance to start on the right side of Tottenham’s attack, failed to make a significant impact. Despite a few flashes of potential, his overall performance did more harm than good to his chances of retaining a starting spot in the next match. Like Son, Johnson struggled to create clear-cut chances for his teammates and was largely ineffective as an attacking threat.
Amos Murphy, while slightly more lenient in his assessment of Johnson, still rated him only 5/10. Murphy described Johnson as “a passenger for the most part” and noted that he “struggled to impose himself on the contest.” Given his statistics, a rating of 4/10, similar to Son’s, might have been more appropriate. In 78 minutes of action, Johnson failed to score or assist, recorded an expected goals and assists (xGA) figure of just 0.16, took one shot on target, did not complete a single dribble, maintained a passing accuracy of just 77%, failed to deliver a successful cross, committed one foul, lost possession 13 times, and was dribbled past once.
Given these lackluster performances, it would not be surprising to see Johnson relegated to the bench for Tottenham’s next match. Dejan Kulusevski, who came on in the 79th minute, provided a much-needed spark and could be in line for a start. Although Kulusevski has been inconsistent during his time at Tottenham, when he is at his best, he ranks among the most dangerous attackers in the Premier League. His energy and creativity could be key as Tottenham look to kickstart their season with a strong showing against Everton this weekend.
Ultimately, while Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham may have started on a disappointing note, there is still time for the team to find its rhythm. A solid run of form in the coming fixtures could quickly turn things around, especially if players like Kulusevski are able to step up and deliver on their potential. The challenge now is for Tottenham to shake off this early setback and build momentum as they pursue their lofty ambitions for the season.