The issue is not the disregard for Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham), but the misinformation conveyed to fans.
The football statistics platform Transfermarkt confirmed that the South Korean football icon Son Heung-min (Tottenham) was excluded from the Premier League top scorer list for the 2021-2022 season in a social media post addressing the top scorer records.
The problematic post was a graphic summarizing the Premier League top scorers over the past 20 seasons. It listed a total of 20 names from the 2005-2006 season's Thierry Henry to the 2024-2025 season's Mohamed Salah.
However, for the 2021-2022 season, only Salah's name was mentioned, while the name of Son Heung-min, who shared the title, was omitted. Officially, the top scorers for the 2021-2022 season were Son Heung-min and Salah, but only one name was included.
Transfermarkt had previously handled co-top scorers in a similar manner. First, in the 2010-2011 season, Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez finished tied for first place with 20 goals each, but only Tevez appeared in the graphic.
The same was true for the 2018-2019 season. Aubameyang, Mane, and Salah were co-top scorers, but only Salah was included in the list.
Ultimately, selective notation, leaving only one 'representative top scorer' for certain seasons, is repeatedly occurring. Moreover, Transfermarkt has not disclosed the criteria for this list composition.
While it is a simple notation, it can justifiably receive criticism for lacking respect for the players. In reality, the 2021-2022 season was a dramatic season.
The 2021-2022 season, in which Son Heung-min became the top scorer, was a drama in itself. As the final round approached, Son Heung-min had 21 goals, while Salah had 22, putting Salah one goal ahead. In the final match, Tottenham faced Norwich City, who were at risk of relegation, and Son Heung-min's teammates concentrated passes throughout the game to aid his quest for the top scorer title.
Ultimately, Son Heung-min, who scored a goal, ascended to the top scorer title. In the final season, both Salah and Son Heung-min finished as co-top scorers with 23 goals each, but there was a significant difference. Son Heung-min scored 23 goals through field goals without any penalties, while Salah filled 9 of his goals through penalties.
As a result, Son Heung-min claimed the title of the only 'top scorer without penalties' in Premier League history. The fact that he scored all goals through field play without a single penalty adds greater significance. Son Heung-min is the only player in Premier League history to become a top scorer without penalty goals.
However, Transfermarkt omitted that name. Particularly concerning is the lack of clarification regarding the ambiguous standards for co-top scorers. Improperly documenting records in a sport like football diminishes its value.
In fact, the exclusion of Son Heung-min and other players by the prominent Transfermarkt could create significant confusion for fans who encounter Premier League records late.
If they are conscious of being a reputable media outlet, they need to clearly designate co-top scorers for that season to provide accurate information to fans engaging with football.
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