Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) missed the final match of the season, ending his streak of nine consecutive seasons with double-digit goals in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur announced shortly that Son Heung-min was excluded from the roster for the final match of the 38th round of the 2024-2025 season Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion, which will take place at midnight (Korean time) on the 26th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The club revealed his absence along with the starting lineup, which included Kevin Danso, Archie Gray, and Mathys Tel, through its official website on that day.
Ange Postecoglou, the manager, noted in a press conference the day before that the absences of Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero were anticipated, stating, "Both players made tremendous efforts to participate in the Europa League final. In particular, Sonny's foot has not fully healed yet." Son Heung-min had shown he was not at 100% condition by coming on as a substitute in the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United earlier.
Thus, Son Heung-min concluded the season with 7 goals and 9 assists in the league. His streak of eight consecutive seasons with double-digit scoring in the Premier League, which began in the 2016-2017 season, was halted at the threshold of the ninth season. Simultaneously, his total of 198 Premier League attacking points (127 goals, 71 assists) will be postponed to the next season as he aims for the '200' mark.
This also impacts the management of Son Heung-min's career record. He has currently participated in 454 official matches for Tottenham. With one year remaining on his contract until June 2026, it will be virtually difficult to achieve the milestone of '500 matches for Tottenham' if there is no re-signing.
Postecoglou said ahead of the last home game, "Regardless of the rankings, we want to play well for the fans. The players also want to win in a festive atmosphere." Although the league positions are essentially fixed, Tottenham will play their first match at home in front of their fans since winning the Europa League.
Meanwhile, Tottenham will line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Brighton. Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson will be at the front, while Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Archie Gray will be in the midfield. Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, and Pedro Porro will form the backline, with Guglielmo Vicario guarding the goal.
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