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[이데일리 스타in 이석무 기자] A long-distance flight of up to 30 hours due to two matches of A-match was not a problem for Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham). Although his body was tired, his expression was always bright. His toes were sharper.
Heung-Min Son scored one goal and one assist in the 31st round home match of the 2021-22 English Premier League (EPL) once morest Newcastle United held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on the 4th (Korea time), leading the team to a 5-1 victory. .
Son Heung-min, who started as soon as he returned to his team following completing the national team schedule, assisted Ben Davis’ header equalizer with a sharp right-footed cross from the opponent’s left flank in the 43rd minute of the first half. Then, in the ninth minute of the second half, leading 2-1, Dejan Kulusevsky shook the net with a left-footed shot from near the front of the goal area with a cross from the right flank.
Son Heung-min, who scored 1 goal and 1 assist that day, recorded his 14th goal and 6 assist in the league. He was tied for second place with Dio Gujota (Rippool) in the league scoring table. It is six goals behind the top scorer Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 20 goals).
Tottenham Hotspur, who have won three consecutive victories, took the 4th place (54 points, goal difference +15), which is the marginal line for the UEFA Champions League next season. It has the same points as fifth-placed Arsenal (54 points, goal difference +13), but finished fourth in goal difference.
Son Heung-min was recently called up to the Korean national football team and played the 9th and 10th games of the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifiers. On the 21st of last month, ahead of a match break, following scoring a multi-goal once morest West Ham United, he flew for over 12 hours and arrived in Korea.
He joined the national team and played a home match once morest Iran (2-0 win), then moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 9 hours and 30 minutes to play the UAE (0-1 loss). After the match once morest the UAE, we flew once more for 7 hours and 40 minutes to arrive in England. In just two weeks, he digested a murderous forced march, which took regarding 30 hours by plane alone.
Fatigue piled up as much as possible, but Son Heung-min did not waver. As much as he has the full trust of coach Antonio Conte, he deserves his name on the former Newcastle starting roster. Son Heung-min also lived up to Conte’s trust. He played full-time, scoring and assisting in two consecutive league games. After the match, he was also selected by the League Secretariat for the ‘King of the Match’ (KOTM), which was decided by a fan vote. This season is already the 10th.
Since Heung-Min Son came to the Premier League, the number of games in which he has scored both goals and assists has reached 20. Heung-Min Son is ranked first in the league in both goals (14 goals) and attack points (20) this season. Help is also tied for 1st place with ‘best friend’ Kane.
What Son Heung-min is looking at now is Tottenham’s entry into the quarter-finals and the establishment of the most goals (17 goals) in a regular season in a season. Tottenham Hotspur have eight games left until the end of the regular season. Realistically, it is not easy for Son Heung-min to catch up with the leading scorer, Salah.
However, if he adds four or more goals in the remaining matches, Son Heung-Min can break his record for most goals (17 goals) in a regular season in a season set last season. Add regarding 4 assists to this and he joins the club with 10 goals -10 assists for three straight seasons in the EPL.
Heung-Min Son always does his best without giving up even when his body is hard. And he produces results. Heung-Min Son’s performance has been established as a great emotion for the team and fans.
