Son Heung-min rescues Tottenham from defeat with penalty against Bournemouth

Angie Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur manager, applauded club captain Son Heung-min (33) for stopping the three-game losing streak.

Tottenham drew 2-2 with Bournemouth in the 28th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League (PL) home game held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 9th at 11 p.m. (Korean time). This result allowed Tottenham to record a draw after two consecutive defeats in official matches, slightly shifting the atmosphere.

Tottenham started in a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Jed Spence, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, Pedro Porro, and Guglielmo Vicario as the starters.

Son Heung-min was listed on the substitute list. Along with Son Heung-min, vice-captain James Maddison, Matheus Tul, Lucas Verhiven, Archie Gray, and Destiny Udogie also started on the bench. This appears to be preparation for the UEFA Europa League second leg against Alkmaar held midweek.

Bournemouth lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ibaniousong, Antoine Semenyo, Justin Cluivert, Marcus Tavernier, Tyler Adams, Ryan Christie, Milos Kerkes, Dean Huysen, James Hill, Lewis Cook, and Kepa Arizabalaga formed the starting lineup.

Tottenham nearly conceded a goal within 20 seconds. Romero made an astonishing passing mistake just in front of the box, losing possession of the ball. Ibaniousong advanced and took a decisive shot, but Vicario deflected it with his fingertips. Tottenham also faced a critical mistake from Bissouma in the 4th minute of the first half, but they were saved by Vicario's super save.

Bournemouth struck first. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Kerkes intercepted Porro's pass and made a powerful run. Breaking into the left side, he delivered a perfect early cross to Tavernier, who finished with one touch by throwing himself into the ball. The first half ended with Bournemouth leading 1-0.

Son Heung-min was substituted in. Postecoglou made two changes at halftime, bringing off Johnson and Bissouma and introducing Son Heung-min and Lucas Verhiven. Son Heung-min took over the left wing, while Odobert moved to the right side.

Son Heung-min cradled his head in frustration after hitting the goalpost. In the 9th minute of the second half, he skillfully dodged two defenders on the left side of the box and fired a sharp shot with his right foot. Unfortunately, the ball deflected off a defender and hit the goalpost. Tottenham initiated an all-out attack by bringing on Micky van de Ven and James Maddison in the 16th minute of the second half.

Tottenham missed a golden opportunity. In the 18th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min provided a good pass to Maddison, who was making a run into the box, but instead of shooting, Maddison passed to Sarr, who was in a better position. However, Sarr's shot went inexplicably wide to the left.

Having survived the crisis, Bournemouth scored a second goal. In the 20th minute of the second half, Cluivert delivered a brilliant through pass between defenders. Ibaniousong received it and sent a sublime chip shot over Vicario to make it 2-0.

Tottenham quickly pulled a goal back. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Sarr attempted a cross from the right. Instead of aiming for his teammates' heads, the ball flew long toward the goal and slipped past the slightly out-of-position goalkeeper into the net. It was a fortunate consolation goal.

Son Heung-min saved Tottenham. In the 37th minute of the second half, he burst into the back space with explosive speed and won a penalty after being fouled by the opposing goalkeeper. Stepping up as the kicker, Son Heung-min completely deceived the goalkeeper with a Panenka shot, scoring his 7th goal of the league. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Son Heung-min scored for the first time in 10 official matches. It was his first goal in 44 days since he netted a double against Hoffenheim in a UEFA League match in January. In league terms, it was 55 days since the match against Arsenal in January. Despite enduring numerous critiques in the UK, he proved himself by rescuing the team after being substituted in.

Postecoglou also praised Son Heung-min, saying, "The introduction of bench players certainly helped. This is something we have not experienced for a long time. Especially when Verhiven and Son Heung-min came on, both had a significant impact."

Furthermore, Postecoglou noted, "Son Heung-min scoring the penalty was undoubtedly a big moment. He showed that he is there in that crucial moment. It was an important goal for the team, and he took on that responsibility."

Literally, Son Heung-min and the other players substituted in the second half changed the game. Postecoglou stated, "It was definitely a chaotic match. Especially in the first half, we made incredibly careless passes. This allowed the opponent to play the kind of counter-attacking football they wanted. It would have been very easy to collapse in a 0-2 situation. However, the players found a way to fight back, and thanks to that, we gained something."

The British 'Standard' also gave Son Heung-min a rating of 8 for rescuing Tottenham from defeat. This was the highest score shared with Vicario, Verhiven, and Maddison. The media praised, stating, "Son Heung-min cleverly earned the penalty. Even in a 0-1 situation, he created the closest opportunity to equalize with his trademark curling shot."

Nonetheless, Son Heung-min could not smile. This was because the team did not win. After the match, he expressed his disappointment in an interview with 'Sky Sports,' saying, "I'm still very disappointed and frustrated. When playing at home, I expect to earn 3 points, but we didn't achieve that. Bournemouth is a really good team. However, I still feel it is not enough for us."

Son Heung-min added, "It's hard to say, but the last match against Alkmaar was a performance that no one could accept. Today's first half was also sloppy. I won't claim it is due to that. However, when confidence drops a little, we tend to make mistakes we wouldn't usually make. With an important match coming up, we must get stronger."

Son Heung-min vowed to end a long slump by reaching the UEFA 8th round against Alkmaar. He said, "In the PL, everyone has strong skills, and confidence makes a massive difference. Especially after the Alkmaar match, I have been thinking 'I need to do more and do it better,' which naturally adds some stress. But we need to calmly deal with the simple things first. Then we will be able to get out of this tunnel."

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