Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) came on as a substitute in the second half against Manchester City (Man City), but the team could not avoid defeat. Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou explained, "We decided to substitute Son Heung-min because he has played many games recently."

Tottenham lost 1-0 to Man City in Round 27 of the 2024-2025 season of the English Premier League (EPL) held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 27th (Korea time). They allowed Erling Haaland (Man City) to score the decisive goal early in the game and lost by one goal.

With this result, Tottenham remained in 13th place with 10 wins, 3 draws, and 14 losses, totaling 36 points. In contrast, Man City moved up to 4th place with 14 wins, 5 draws, and 8 losses, totaling 47 points.

Postecoglou utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation. He positioned Mathis Tel at the front, and Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, and Brennan Johnson in the second line. In the midfield, James Maddison, Lucas Beryval, and Rodrigo Bentancur participated. The defense was managed by Kevin Danzo, Destiny Udogie, Archie Gray, and Pedro Porro, while Guglielmo Vicario played as the goalkeeper.

Son Heung-min waited on the bench and was substituted in for Odobert in the 22nd minute of the second half, playing for about 23 minutes. He did not record any attacking points.

In the previous match against Ipswich Town, he added 2 assists, joining the 70-70 club with a total of 126 goals and 71 assists in the EPL, but Son Heung-min was excluded from the starting lineup for this match.

Tottenham, who allowed the opening goal to Haaland in the 12th minute of the first half, pounded on Man City's goal several times afterward but failed to equalize. Haaland gave his team the lead by pushing in a cross from Doku on the left, which ultimately became the decisive goal without any additional scoring. In stoppage time of the second half, Haaland shook the net again, but the goal was canceled due to a handball call.

Son Heung-min recorded 1 shot, a pass success rate of 78% (7/9), 1 chance created, and 2 touches inside the box during the match. The British media outlet 'Football London' noted, "He moved to the middle in the second half, initiating an attack and providing a consolidation to Pape Sarr, but his shot was denied by Ederson's save," giving Son Heung-min a rating of 6.

The players who received higher ratings than Son Heung-min at Tottenham were Vicario, Archie Gray, Lucas Beryval, and Rodrigo Bentancur, all of whom received a rating of 7.

Regarding the reason Son Heung-min was not in the starting lineup, Coach Postecoglou explained, "It's not just a simple rotation. Udogie, Johnson, and Odobert needed to have their playing time," adding, "Son Heung-min, Kulusevski, and Spence needed rest because they have played many games lately."

On the defeat, Coach Postecoglou said, "The result is disappointing, but the players are gradually regaining their original form. They fought tenaciously throughout the match and exhibited proactive play."

He also noted, "The defeat is disappointing, but as long as the players maintain good condition and continue to show the same performance as in the second half, we can improve further."

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