Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) scored a dramatic equalizer, saving Tottenham from the brink of defeat. With this goal, he rose to joint 16th in the all-time Premier League scoring rankings.

Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 with AFC Bournemouth in the 28th round of the 2024-2025 season Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Nov. 9 at 11 p.m. (Korean time). Although Tottenham, which had recently recorded two consecutive league losses, did not secure a victory, thanks to Son Heung-min's performance, they were able to aim for a turnaround in atmosphere.

In this match, Tottenham employed a 4-3-3 formation. The attacking line consisted of Wilson Odoiber, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson, while the midfield included Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and Rodrigo Bentancur. The defense was made up of Jed Spence, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, and Pedro Porro, with Guglielmo Vicario guarding the goal.

Son Heung-min was on the substitute bench. Along with him, James Maddison, Mattis Tell, Lucas Bergwijn, Archie Gray, and Destiny Udogie started on the bench. This was a strategic choice in preparation for the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg against AZ Alkmaar.

Tottenham struggled from the beginning of the match with a series of mistakes. Less than a minute into the first half, Cristian Romero lost a pass near the box, giving the opponent a decisive opportunity. Fortunately, goalkeeper Vicario quickly reacted to prevent a goal. Then, in the 4th minute of the first half, due to a misplaced pass by Bissouma, Bournemouth created another threatening opportunity, but Vicario made another save.

Bournemouth scored first just before the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute, Milos Kerkenez intercepted a pass from Porro and attempted a quick dribble breakthrough, delivering a sharp early cross to the opposite side. Marcus Tavernier dove to shoot in front of the goal, giving Bournemouth a 1-0 lead.

As soon as the second half began, Tottenham made changes. Coach Ange Postecoglou substituted Son Heung-min and Lucas Bergwijn to seek a shift in momentum. Son Heung-min led the attack on the left side, while Odoiber moved to the right.

In the 6th minute of the second half, it seemed like Bournemouth was about to score again, but after a VAR review, an offside was declared, and the goal was canceled. Three minutes later, Son Heung-min attempted a decisive shot. A curling right-footed shot from the left side of the box deflected off a defender and hit the goal post.

Tottenham went on the offensive, bringing in Mickey van de Ven and Maddison in the 16th minute of the second half.

Bournemouth extended their lead again. In the 20th minute of the second half, Justin Klavert delivered a sharp through pass, which Ivanuşong received and scored with a chip shot over the goalkeeper, creating a two-goal gap.

Tottenham immediately retaliated. Two minutes later, Sarr sent a cross from the right side, and the ball unexpectedly flew towards the goal, going over the goalkeeper's head and shaking the net. An unexpected lucky goal brought the score to 2-1.

Tottenham continued to seek an equalizer, and Son Heung-min finally played the role of a rescuer. In the 37th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min made a quick penetration into the space behind, drawing a foul from the opposing goalkeeper and earning a penalty kick. As the kicker, Son Heung-min calmly converted the Panenka kick, saving the team. The match ended 2-2.

In this match, Son Heung-min resumed his scoring after 10 official matches. He had not scored for 44 days since recording a multi-goal game against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January. Despite heavy criticism from local media, Son Heung-min proved his worth by scoring a decisive goal after coming off the bench.

With this goal, Son Heung-min recorded a total of 127 goals in the Premier League, matching Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Additionally, he surpassed Robbie Keane (126 goals), who played for Tottenham, and rose to joint 16th in the all-time Premier League scoring rankings.

Now, Son Heung-min's next target is Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), who has 143 goals. However, since Vardy is still an active player, it may be faster for him to catch up with Robin van Persie, who scored 144 goals.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min is approaching a significant milestone in Tottenham's club history. With a total of 173 goals so far, he is ranked 5th in Tottenham's all-time scoring list, just one goal behind Martin Chivers (174 goals). If he scores just one more goal, he will equal Chivers and become joint 4th in the club's all-time scoring list. Currently, only Bobby Smith (208 goals), Jimmy Greaves (268 goals), and Harry Kane (280 goals) have scored more goals than Son Heung-min.

After the match, Son Heung-min said, "I am disappointed that the team could not bring home 3 points. However, I believe that not giving up until the end and scoring the equalizer is a positive sign. We need to become stronger and prove more in the remaining season."

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