Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) is making a turnaround in the match against Southampton.

Tottenham is set to face Southampton in the 31st round of the 2024-2025 Premier League, which will be held at 10 p.m. (Korea time) on the 6th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, leading to a 2-0 victory thanks to Brennan Johnson's multi-goal performance. With 37 points, Tottenham is likely to break the losing streak.

The starting lineup was revealed ahead of the match. Tottenham's attack will be led by Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson. The midfield consists of James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Beryval. The defense features Jed Spence, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Pedro Porro, with Guglielmo Vicario as the goalkeeper.

Tottenham struggled in the last four league matches leading up to the Southampton game, recording 1 draw and 3 losses. They lost 0-1 in the match against Manchester City, where Son Heung-min was left out of the starting lineup. In the match against Bournemouth, where Son Heung-min scored the equalizer, they drew 2-2. They subsequently lost consecutively to Fulham (0-2) and Chelsea (0-1).

However, they seem poised to make a turnaround against the league's bottom team, Southampton, by launching a fierce offensive. Notably, several players, including Son Heung-min, showed impressive performances. Johnson also received support from Son Heung-min, displaying great form and earning applause.

This season, Son Heung-min has scored 7 goals and provided 9 assists. While still performing well, it is true that he is somewhat lacking compared to his usual self. It is his lowest goal tally since scoring 4 goals in his debut season with Tottenham in 2015-16. Although Son Heung-min, who started the match, did not record any goal contributions, he played an active role that led to the opening goal.

From the start of the match, Tottenham launched an aggressive assault. In the 9th minute of the first half, Romero attempted a powerful header from a Tottenham corner kick, but it was stopped by Ramsdale. In the 11th minute, Beryval stirred up the opposing defense and shot, but it did not connect well.

After pressing hard, Tottenham scored the opening goal in the 13th minute of the first half. Notably, the key attacking pattern of Tottenham, with Spence and Son Heung-min on the left flank, was at work. Son Heung-min passed to Spence, who was overlapping on the left flank. Johnson finished the play with a direct cross.

In addition, in the 26th minute of the first half, Tottenham executed a sharp diving header from Romero during a free kick situation. However, this shot was unfortunate as it hit the face of the opposing goalkeeper, Ramsdale, and was nullified. Although it was disappointing, in the 35th minute, during a free-kick situation, Porro took the free kick, and after Romero touched the ball, Beryval, who was in front of the goal, fired an additional goal.

However, after a video assistant referee (VAR) check lasting over 5 minutes, an offside call against Romero resulted in the goal being disallowed. Still, in the 41st minute of the first half, a chaotic situation unfolded in Southampton's box. In this process, Maddison flicked the ball with a header, and Johnson finished it off, scoring his second goal.

The first half wrapped up with a 2-0 lead. With a comfortable two-goal advantage, Tottenham looked to manage their pace in the second half while preparing for the next match. They are set to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Europa League quarterfinals at the same venue on the 11th.

In the 13th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min and Bentancur were substituted out for Pape Sarr and Odobert to conserve energy. Tottenham is poised to maintain their concentration while leading 2-0.

[OSEN]