Tottenham, which shows an organization like grains of sand, won the match.

Tottenham defeated Southampton 3-1, led by Brennan Johnson's multiple goals, in the '31st round of the 2024-2025 season Premier League' held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London at 10 p.m. (Korea time) on the 6th. Marking 37 points, Tottenham ended their losing streak.

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

Ahead of the match against Southampton, Tottenham had struggled in their last four league matches with 1 draw and 3 losses. They lost 0-1 to Manchester City without Son Heung-min in the starting lineup. They drew 2-2 against Bournemouth, where Son scored the equalizer. Afterwards, they lost consecutively to Fulham (0-2) and Chelsea (0-1).

However, against the bottom-ranked Southampton, they unleashed a fierce attack and created an opportunity for a turnaround. It was particularly impressive that several players, including Son Heung-min, showed balanced performances. Johnson also received assistance from Son and showcased a good performance, drawing applause.

This season, Son Heung-min has scored 7 goals and provided 9 assists. While he is still performing excellently, it is true that he is somewhat lacking compared to his usual standards. Son is in a situation where he has recorded the fewest goals since scoring 4 in his debut season with Tottenham in 2015-16. As a starter on this day, Son did not record any attacking points but played a significant role in the opening goal.

From the start of the match, Tottenham launched a relentless attack. In the 9th minute of the first half, a corner kick situation for Tottenham saw Romero attempt a powerful header that was saved by Ramsdale. In the 11th minute, Veribal stirred up the opposing defense before shooting, but it didn’t connect properly.

Amid their pounding, Tottenham scored the opening goal in the 13th minute of the first half. Notably, Tottenham's key attacking pattern, with Spence and Son on the left side, worked effectively. Son passed to Spence, who was overlapping on the left, and Johnson finished off the direct cross.

Additionally, in the 26th minute of the first half, Tottenham created a free-kick opportunity where Romero executed a sharp diving header. However, this shot was unfortunately blocked by the face of the opposing goalkeeper, Ramsdale, rendering it ineffective. Although it was disappointing, in the 35th minute from a free-kick situation, Porro attempted a free-kick, and after Romero touched the ball, Veribal, who was near the goal, scored an additional goal.

However, after more than 5 minutes of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checks, Romero was declared offside, and the goal was canceled. Nevertheless, in the 41st minute of the first half, there was a chaotic situation in Southampton's box. In this process, Maddison headed the ball, and Johnson finished it off, achieving a multiple-goal feat.

The first half ended with a 2-0 lead. Having effortlessly taken a 2-goal advantage, Tottenham adjusted their pace in the second half while preparing for their next match. They are set to face Germany's Frankfurt at the same venue on the 11th in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals this season.

In the 13th minute of the second half, they substituted Pape Sarr and Odobert for Son Heung-min and Bentancur to manage their stamina. Maintaining focus, Tottenham continued to endure. However, in the 44th minute of the second half, they allowed a consolation goal to Matheus Fernandes from Southampton.

Still, in stoppage time of the second half, Tottenham earned a penalty kick as Johnson broke through. Instead of Johnson, who was on the verge of a hat trick, Mathis Tel unexpectedly took the penalty. Tel, who was introduced in the 43rd minute, finished it off, and the match concluded with Tottenham's 3-1 victory.

However, several discussions have arisen regarding this penalty kick. In the situation where Tottenham's penalty kick takers Son Heung-min, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke were all absent, it was appropriate for Johnson, who was on the verge of a hat trick and had earned the penalty, to take it.

Given that Johnson had been a starter and performed outstandingly from the start, it would not have been unusual for another player to yield the penalty. It appears that the scene unfolded where Tel, who was introduced in the 43rd minute, took the ball and did not yield the penalty, leading to a conflict.

In reality, Johnson was seen telling Tel, who insisted on taking the penalty, 'Hat trick! Hat trick!' indicating his intention to take it himself, but Tel continued not to yield. Eventually, Johnson shook his head with a sigh as Tel took the penalty, creating an uncomfortable situation between them.

It is an unreasonable situation that Johnson, who is expected to be Tottenham's next-generation star, yields the penalty to Tel, who is still just a loaned player. In various ways, the players' greed is blocking the team spirit, making it clear how much the current Tottenham is crumbling like a sandcastle.

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