He is indeed a living legend. Son Heung-min (33) has once again rewritten the history of Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham defeated Ipswich 4-1 in the away match of Round 26 of the 2024-2025 Premier League (PL) held on the 23rd (Korea time) at Portman Road in Ipswich, England.
With this victory, Tottenham has achieved three consecutive league wins for the first time in about 14 months since December 2023. They remain in 12th place with 33 points (10 wins, 3 draws, 13 losses). Ipswich, in 18th place, stays in the relegation zone with 17 points (3 wins, 8 draws, 15 losses).
Son Heung-min was on fire. That day, he started as the left winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation and played for 74 minutes, providing two assists. Thanks to a week of resting, he showcased a light movement and tormented Ipswich's defense.
The opening goal also came from Son Heung-min's feet. In the 18th minute of the first half, he broke through on the left side of the box, using his signature step-over move and sending a strong ground cross in front of the goal, which Brennan Johnson easily tapped in to shake the net. It was a perfect assist that could score just by being there.
It didn't end there. In the 26th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min assisted Johnson's additional goal with a daring breakthrough and precise pass. He continued to lead Tottenham's attack until he was substituted for Wilson Odobert. Tottenham completed their resounding 4-1 victory with goals from Jed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski in the second half.
With this, Son Heung-min added two assists that day, achieving double-digit assists for the season. Despite not being in his best condition this season due to a hamstring injury and a demanding schedule, he has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 35 matches across all competitions.
This is the fifth time Son Heung-min has recorded double-digit goals and assists in a single season in his professional career. Previously, he also accumulated over 10 goals and assists in the 2017-2018 season (18 goals, 11 assists), the 2019-2020 season (18 goals, 11 assists), the 2020-2021 season (22 goals, 17 assists), and the 2023-2024 season (17 goals, 10 assists).
Additionally, Son Heung-min has joined the 70-70 club in the Premier League. He has played 326 matches in the PL, scoring 126 goals and providing 71 assists, which ranks 11th all-time. Son Heung-min has once again etched his name into the pages of history.
So far, only ten players have achieved 70 goals and 70 assists in the PL, including Teddy Sheringham (146 goals, 76 assists), Wayne Rooney (208 goals, 103 assists), Frank Lampard (177 goals, 102 assists), Ryan Giggs (109 goals, 162 assists), Andy Cole (187 goals, 73 assists), Dennis Bergkamp (87 goals, 96 assists), Steven Gerrard (120 goals, 92 assists), Thierry Henry (175 goals, 74 assists), Mohamed Salah (182 goals, 85 assists), and Kevin De Bruyne (70 goals, 118 assists).
Furthermore, Son Heung-min has set a new assist record for Tottenham. 'Spurs Global' highlighted, "Son Heung-min has recorded 71 assists in the PL, becoming the first Tottenham player to achieve over 70 assists in league history."
Since Tottenham's founding in 1882, no player has recorded more league assists than Son Heung-min. The second-most is Darren Anderton with 67 assists, and the third is Christian Eriksen with 62 assists. Now, every assist Son Heung-min adds in league matches writes new history for Tottenham.
Son Heung-min's recent performance is particularly welcome as it has quelled the streaming criticisms. As he fell short of expectations for a while, British media, including former Tottenham players like Jamie Redknapp and Jamie O'Hara, piled on critiques against Son Heung-min. There were even questions about his leadership, claiming he was unfit to serve as captain. This led to speculation that Tottenham would release Son Heung-min this summer.
However, Son Heung-min has proven himself on the pitch after recharging his energy. Manager Ange Postecoglou noted, "No player could stop Son Heung-min in the first half," and applauded his performance. The Tottenham fan community 'Hotsper HQ' also pointed out, "Son Heung-min is a symbol of dedication and persistence. Considering his contributions to Tottenham, he deserves better treatment."
/finekosh@osen.co.kr
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Tottenham, Spurs Global social media.
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