 |
| Photo =Brentford Club's official SNS capture |
|
 |
| Photo =Brentford Club's official SNS capture |
|
 |
| Reuters Yonhap News |
|
Kim Ji-soo (20, Brentford), who made his English Premier League (EPL) debut as the youngest Korean, continued to play for two consecutive games.
Kim Ji-soo took the ground as a substitute for Sef van den Berg in the 19th round of the 2024-2025 EPL against Arsenal at G-Tech Community Stadium in Brentford, England on the 2nd (Korea time). The race was already in the air.
Brentford took the lead in the 13th minute with Brian Mbjömo's first goal. But the lead didn't last long. Arsenal put the game to square one with Gabriel Jesus' equalizer in the 29th minute of the first half. Mikel Merino scored consecutive goals in the fifth minute of the second half and Gabriel Martinelli in the eighth minute, quickly turning the tide.
Arsenal eventually won 3-1 to rise to second place (39 points). There is a six-point gap with Liverpool (45 points), which has played one less game. Brentford, with 24 points, remained in 12th place.
 |
| Reuters Yonhap News |
|
 |
| Reuters Yonhap News |
|
After a long wait, Kim Ji-soo took his first stage in the 18th round of the EPL against Brighton on the 28th of last month. In the 33rd minute of the second half, he took the ground instead of Ben Mee. He transferred from K League 2 Seongnam FC to Brentford in June 2023. Kim Ji-soo, who played in the second division all the time, was called by the first division in June last year.
In September last year, he replaced Leyton Orient (third division) in the third round (round of 32 strongest teams) of the Carabao Cup (League Cup), but it was his first meeting with EPL. He was named the 15th Korean Premier Leaguer in name and reality.
Kim Ji-soo, who celebrated his 20th birthday on the 24th of last month, became the youngest Korean Premier Leaguer. The previous record was 20 years and 3 months old when Ji Dong-won, the eighth Korean Premier Leaguer, was deployed as a substitute for Sunderland in the 2011-2012 season opener away game against Liverpool in August 2011.
He also had his chance against Arsenal. The march of 'No Runs' continued. Brentford did not allow a single goal after Kim Ji-soo of 1m92. Although it was a short time, he also showed solid defense and build-up ability following accurate passes.
The full text of soccer statistics 'Huscored.Com.' gave Kim Ji-soo a 6.0 rating, who recorded a 95% pass success rate. It was similar to Brentford's other replacements. Jesús scored a best of 8.2 points for both teams, and Mbömo was the highest among Brentford players with 7.3.
 |
| Photo by Kim Ji-soo personal SNS capture |
|
 |
| Photo =Brentford Club's official SNS capture |
|
Kim Ji-soo, who played about 20 minutes until the extra time, said in an interview with Sports Chosun 'Mix Zone"I think it's really nice to be able to play against a good team called Arsenal. It's not a lot of time, but I was so satisfied with the time given. "I'm so happy right now to be able to play on the field like that. "If we continue to have opportunities like this, I think it would be best to prepare well and show the same good performance in the future."
Sports media 'ESPN' also expected Kim Ji-soo to start the match against Arsenal. However, Van den Bergh, who returned from injury, took the opportunity first.
He said 'Actually, before today's game, there were also expectations of a start. Asked if it was a pity to go out as a replacement, "I got too many calls. But this is what keeps changing. One day, I'll be able to start. Rather than being impatient and stressed, I think it's something I can do to wait well like this and show good performance when I have a chance and repay you with good performances."
 |
| AP Yonhap News |
|
 |
| AP Yonhap News |
|
Can we talk about 'Relaxed' for the second consecutive game. Kim Ji-soo said "It's still hectic. I'm always trying to concentrate. Rather than being relaxed, I think it can look like that because I'm usually a little calm. Still, I always enter the stadium with excitement. Brighton and Arsenal are a really good team and that's why I'm so grateful right now and I think there are so many happy moments continuing."
On meeting with EPL "First of all, it's fun. The tension is different from the League Cup, and the quality of the players is also different. The tempo is faster than you really think. I was a little surprised when I first went into Brighton, but when I went in this time, I think we adjusted quickly because we weren't playing a very tight game"I think the first thing to do is to match the speed of the Premier League without any problems. First of all, I think the most important thing now is that the team has to win. Whether I play or not, the team has to win first."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
