Tottenham drew 1-1 in the 13th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in 2024-2025 season against Fulham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on the 1st (Korea time). It wasn't easy from the top 11 composition.
In Tottenham's murderous schedule, Christian Romero, Mickey van der Penn and Hishalisson are out of power due to injuries. Dominic Solanke, who was ambitiously recruited this season, was also excluded from the entry against Fulham due to poor condition.
Son Heung-min also went through a hiatus due to injuries twice this season. Recently, he has been consistently starting, but the pressure is increasing.
Tottenham drew 2-2 against AS Roma (Italy) on the 29th in the fifth round of the Europa League (UEL) league phase in 2024-2025 season. Son Heung-min scored the first goal with a penalty kick in the fifth minute of the first half. It was the first goal in 41 days since the netting goal against West Ham (4-1 win) in the EPL on the 19th of last month.
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AFP Yonhap News
However, he missed several decisive opportunities and came under fire. Coach Enze Postecoglou said after the match against AS Roma, `I don't know if I lack confidence. Son Heung-min is having a chaotic season. I had a few good chances to score a goal"But he's a player who has the ability to create such an opportunity. We know that we have played consistently for 10 years."
And "However, this season has been chaotic. It's an important part of us that he's on his way to full form. We have a pretty thin side squad. Other than Son Heung-min, there are only Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner. So we have to manage Son Heung-min very carefully," he stressed.
Son Heung-min did not have a normal movement even against Fulham. He had a decisive opportunity 50 seconds into the game, but his right foot shot was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 19th minute of the first half, the opponent's defense intercepted the ball in the penalty area, which was not properly cleared, but failed to touch the ball properly, throwing away another opportunity to score.
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Werner and Johnson started as left and right wings on the day. The two scored the first goal in the 9th minute of the second half. Johnson settled Werner's cross. But Tottenham's lead didn't last long. Tom Cairney, who was replaced in the 22nd minute of the second half, equalized for Fulham.
Cairney stops Dejan Kulusevski in the 38th minute with a rough tackle He received a red card after an on-field review following VAR (video reading). Tottenham faced a chance to dominate the numbers, but they couldn't find a way out due to their physical strength, and the game ended in a draw.
Son's evaluation was also rough. England's 'Football London" had two chances at the beginning of the game, but was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. Since then, it has given little boost to the game. It looked like it was floating around on the edge of the stadium. It was a day when we should have brought the game by the scruff of the neck, but the captain was quiet' gave a team-lowest rating of four points along with harsh criticism.
Solanke's 'Early Leave' is also a hot topic in the absence of a 'professional one-top'. Solanke went to the stadium 'Going to work' He also hoped to participate in the cold. However, it turned out that Postecoglou was sent home.
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Postecoglou said `Solanke trained yesterday. I joined the team again today, but I didn't feel well, so I sent it home. I hope it's not serious because it's not an injury but a cold. I hope you will recover in a few days."I hope you get well and are ready to play in the next game.", he explained. Tottenham is waiting for the 14th round of the EPL against Bournemouth in the away game on the 6th.
Postecoglou responded to Son's silence, saying, `I don't really care. The best goalscorers don't think long about mistakes. So is Son Heung-min. I don't think he's worried about this."He has consistently proved his worth every time. In our team, various players have experienced this situation. The important thing is not to get too obsessed with the past, but to stay focused. I'm sure Son Heung-min will continue his scoring streak again soon," he added.
