Son Heung-min returns from injury as Tottenham loses 0-2 to Crystal Palace

'Captain' Son Heung-min (33) has finally returned. However, Tottenham Hotspur has collapsed again.

Tottenham lost 0-2 to Crystal Palace in the home match of Round 36 of the 2024-2025 Premier League held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 11th (Korean time).

With this defeat, Tottenham finished with 38 points (11 wins, 5 draws, 20 losses) and dropped to 17th place. Although relegation has already been confirmed regardless of the remaining match results, the fact that they are just above the relegation zone is undoubtedly a blow to their pride. Palace recorded 49 points (12 wins, 13 draws, 11 losses), placing them 12th.

Tottenham, led by manager Ange Postecoglou, started in a 4-3-3 formation. Given that the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final is the most important, they implemented a rotation. Matthis Tel, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, Jed Spence, Ben Davies, Kevin Danso, and Pedro Porro were the starters.

Palace, under the direction of manager Oliver Glasner, faced off with a 3-4-2-1 formation. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, Ismaïla Sarr, Tyrick Mitchell, Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes, Daniel Munoz, Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, Chris Richards, and Dean Henderson were the starters.

Tottenham wobbled from the start. Just 8 minutes into the match, it seemed they would concede a goal after losing track of Sarr. However, the goal was canceled due to offside, which allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.

An injury setback occurred. In the 15th minute of the first half, Kulusevski was knocked down by an opponent's tackle and lay on the pitch for a while. He seemed to signal that he was okay and intended to continue playing, but ultimately he was substituted for Mikey Moore four minutes later.

Palace continued to push forward. In the 24th minute of the first half, Mateta took a powerful shot, but Kinski saved it. Three minutes later, Munoz's shot hit the post. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Lacroix shook the net with a header, but it was canceled due to a handball by a teammate.

Palace finally broke the deadlock. In the 45th minute of the first half, with just two passes, they completely dismantled Tottenham's defense. Eze then surged to the left and accurately finished off the pass from the opposite side. The first half ended with Palace leading 1-0.

Eze scored a brace. Just 2 minutes into the second half, he scored again with an accurate shot. Tottenham's defense crumbled once more under a single pass, failing to stop the counterattack.

Son Heung-min returned after a month. He came on in the 13th minute of the second half, replacing Porro. This match was his comeback after being sidelined due to a foot injury sustained during the first leg of the UEL quarterfinals against Frankfurt last month, marking his first match in 8 games.

Palace knocked on Tottenham's goal once again. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Sarr headed a cross from the left flank. However, the ball hit the post. Tottenham's defense struggled to find stability.

Son Heung-min attempted several shots. In the 25th minute of the second half, his shot was blocked by a defensive challenge, and in the 28th minute, his free kick hit the defensive wall. He moved diligently up until the end, looking for a consolation goal, but could not achieve it. Ultimately, the match concluded with Tottenham losing 0-2.

Tottenham is literally having the worst season. With this defeat, Tottenham has suffered a humiliating 20 losses by Round 36. This sets a new club record for the most losses in a single season since the Premier League's inception in 1992. Previously, the highest number of losses for Tottenham was 19 in the 1993-1994 and 2003-2004 seasons.

Additionally, Tottenham has now tied the club record for the most losses in a single season over 38 matches. Tottenham had not suffered more than 20 losses in a 38-game season since the 1912-1913 season under manager Peter McWilliam. However, this season, under manager Postecoglou, they are writing their worst record in 112 years.

The problem is that the league still has 2 matches left. Tottenham will face Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion in their upcoming matches. Both Villa and Brighton are strong teams engaged in the European competition battle. Given that Tottenham is focused on the UEL final, they may find it difficult to overcome these matches.

Still, the hopeful aspect is that Son Heung-min has returned safely. He missed 7 consecutive matches since the game against Frankfurt on the 11th of last month but was substituted in on this day and played for about 32 minutes. This could be a significant boost for Tottenham, who are dreaming of escaping from a trophy drought for the first time in 17 years.

Of course, Son Heung-min still needs to improve his condition. Having played a match after a month, he appeared to lack match fitness. The Tottenham fan community 'Spurs Web' remarked, "It was his first appearance after his injury. I was happy to see him back on the pitch. However, that was the only positive point today," and gave Son a rating of 4.

Son Heung-min is expected to play in the upcoming away match against Villa on the 17th. After the match, manager Postecoglou noted, "I was pleased that Son was able to play for a few minutes. I hope he can secure more time against Villa. It's good to have Son back and participating in the game."

However, manager Postecoglou could not hide his disappointment over the lackluster defeat. He reflected, "We did not participate properly in the match. It was disappointing. We never controlled the game. We have held on quite well until now, but that's not the issue. We are not responding well to several changes."

Postecoglou also added, "We did not perform well enough. It is clear that we did not reach the level required in the Premier League. We were lacking. The many injuries have clearly had an impact, and we have not become a team. I feel we could have done better."

Nevertheless, he did not forget to defend himself. Regarding the record of 20 losses in the league, he justified, "It is clear why we have lost so many games. If we had focused only on the league since being eliminated early from European competitions and the Carabao Cup, we would have ranked higher."

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