"We still have an enormous task ahead of us."
On the 17th (Korean time), Son Heung-min started in the away match against Aston Villa in the 37th round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (PL) held at Villa Park in Birmingham, playing for 74 minutes, but had to watch his team suffer a 0-2 defeat. Tottenham was unable to secure a win again that day, recording 38 points (11 wins, 5 draws, 21 losses) and marking their 21st loss in the league, the most since the establishment of the PL.
Son Heung-min had missed 7 matches due to injury after the first leg of the quarterfinals against Frankfurt on the 11th of last month, making his return as a substitute in the second half during the match against Crystal Palace (0-2 loss) on the 11th. He briefly tested his physical condition during this short time. Following coach Postecoglou’s remarks, he was included in the starting lineup for the match against Villa to check his match fitness one more time.
Meanwhile, with his appearance on that day, Son Heung-min became the sixth player in Tottenham's history to surpass Ted Ditchburn (452 matches) for most official appearances for the club, starting in a total of 453 matches. He is 27 matches behind Glen Hoddle (490 matches) for fifth place, and if he plays for Tottenham next season, he is likely to surpass that mark. The all-time record for most starts at Tottenham is held by Steve Perryman (854 matches).
Coincidentally, aside from Son Heung-min, many rotation members were in the starting lineup. This was a strategy considering the Europa League final. In the attacking front, Mathys Tel, Mikey Moore, and Wilson Odobert were deployed. The midfield also featured Pape Sarr and Archie Gray. The back four included Sergio Reguilón, Ben Davies, Kevin Danso, and Jed Spence. The starting goalkeeper was Antoni Kinski.
While the lineup was as such, coach Postecoglou tested a different strategy of first defending and then counterattacking, unlike their existing tactics. In this process, Son Heung-min showed near-crack movements on the left flank. In the 4th minute of the first half, he made a sprint that penetrated the defensive backspace to get into the left side of the penalty box and attempted a direct shot.
Son Heung-min, who was moving nimbly, took a bending shot inside the box in the 14th minute and again broke through the left flank in the 39th minute to deliver a sharp cross. However, due to the overall lack of completeness in the counterattacks, it did not lead to a goal. After a long time starting, Son Heung-min also mediated a clash between both teams in the 5th minute.
However, Tottenham conceded a goal in the 14th minute of the second half from a corner kick. Watkins dropped the ball, and Konsa smoothly slotted it in for the opening goal. Additionally, in the 28th minute, Asensio drew out the Tottenham defense and passed to Kamara, who successfully scored with an accurate shot, widening the score to 2-0.
As the momentum had shifted, coach Postecoglou substituted Son Heung-min and Reguilón for Rodrigo Bentancur and Dominic Solanke. The match ended without any additional goals, concluding with Tottenham's 0-2 defeat. Although they have given up on the league, Tottenham heads off for the Europa League final amidst 6 consecutive matches without a league win.
In his first start after over a month, Son Heung-min focused on raising his match fitness in preparation for the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final against Manchester United for the 2024-2025 season. Tottenham, led by Son Heung-min, will face Manchester United in a single-elimination match for the tournament trophy at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd.
Due to focusing on defense and counterattacks that day, Tottenham's overall attacking strategy fell short. Tottenham lacked in ball possession (Villa 68%, Tottenham 32%), number of passes (Villa 513 with a success rate of 90%, Tottenham 206 with a success rate of 79%), shots (Villa 18, Tottenham 3), and shots on target (Villa 7, Tottenham 1).
Although Son Heung-min did not record any significant shots or crosses, he led his team’s counterattacks with swift movements throughout the first half. He clearly seemed to have improved his physical condition compared to the previous match against Palace. Alasdair Gold, a reporter for 'Football London', rated Son Heung-min's performance as a solid 6.
After the match, coach Postecoglou responded to a question about whether Son Heung-min was ready to start in the midweek match by stating, "He is ready. He can definitely play." He added, "He started in this match and his condition was good. It is a positive aspect that he was able to play for around 70 to 75 minutes without any issues."
Coach Postecoglou emphasized, "Pay attention to how Son Heung-min performed against Villa. He displayed sprinting and breakthrough ability to create spaces throughout the match. He is regaining his rhythm. He has shown that he has regained this rhythm and elevated his form during the Villa match."
For Son Heung-min, this Europa League final represents a major European competition trophy that has returned since the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League (UCL) final. Although there were cup final opportunities, their importance pales in comparison to UCL or UEL. This could be a last chance to pursue a major tournament victory.
Regarding his feelings about returning to the starting lineup after his absence, Son Heung-min said, "I feel good, but it's tiring since it's been a while since I started. However, my condition is good, and I am ready to continue playing in matches." He added, "It was good to be able to raise my match fitness. What I need now is to achieve perfect physical condition by the day of the final."
He further added, "Honestly, watching the matches from the sidelines while not being able to play with my teammates was really tough. Not being able to be with my teammates was one of the hardest moments." He noted, "It made me so happy to see my teammates celebrating when they secured a spot in the final."
Now, regarding the upcoming final, Son Heung-min stated, "Our job is not finished. We still have an enormous task ahead, and I believe we can achieve it." He continued, "And the Europa final will likely be the best day of my life. We will unite as one and create history."
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