Son Heung-min hat trick leads Spurs to 4-0 win over Villa

Football

Published: 10 Apr. 2022, 07:58

Son Heung-min hat trick leads Spurs to 4-0 win over Villa

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring the club's side's fourth goal during a match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min scored a hat trick on Saturday against Aston Villa to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a 4-0 win and keep the London club's top four hopes alive.

Spurs put on a goal-scoring masterclass at Villa Park in Birmingham, with Son putting the visitors ahead just three minutes into the game.

The Korean forward's quick goal — a rebound from a Harry Kane header that Son quickly slotted into the corner — pushed Villa on the offensive for the rest of the first half.

Spurs weathered the attack without conceding and returned with a vengeance after the break.

Dejan Kulusevski increased Tottenham's lead to 2-0 in the 50th minute, with Son adding No. 3 in the 66th minute. Both goals were assisted by Kane, with the England captain using his head to knock the ball down in both instances.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min scores the club's third goal against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Son added goal No. 4 in the 71st minute, converting a pass from Kulusevski in the box to give Spurs a decisive 4-0 lead.

The win takes Tottenham three points clear of Arsenal in third place in the Premier League, putting the club comfortably in contention for a Champions League spot with just over a month left of the 2021-22 season.

For Son, Saturday's performance saw him score his 15th, 16th and 17th goals on the season, tying his personal record for most goals scored in a single season set last year.

With seven games still to play in the 2021-22 season, this is highly likely to be another banner year for the 29-year-old, especially considering his current form: Son has scored six goals in the last three Premier League games.

The win is another feather in the cap for manager Antonio Conte, who has overseen a complete change in Tottenham's fortunes since taking the helm at the club in November last year.

Spurs have now won four Premier League games on the trot, their best run in the league since November 2020. The club's 18 wins so far this season matches their achievement for the entirety of the 2020-21 season.

"We were very prepared and showed in the first half great resilience," Conte said. "I think we are also improving in the mental aspect, and to suffer in the right moments. Also, in the first half, every time we had the ball, we were good to overcome the pressure and always created danger to Villa."

"After the first half, I said to the guys to stay calm, we tried to correct some things, because between the first and the second half there was too much space between the defensive line and the midfielders. Then I said, ‘don’t worry, continue to play’, because if we play, we are very dangerous."

Spurs are back to playing weekend football for the rest of the season. The London club will be back in action next Saturday with a midday fixture against Brighton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]