Son Heung-min extends scoreless stint to four matches

Football

Published: 29 Aug. 2022, 16:07 Updated: 29 Aug. 2022, 16:07

Son Heung-min extends scoreless stint to four matches

Nottingham Forest's English goalkeeper Dean Henderson, right, saves an attempt from Tottenham Hotspur's striker Son Heung-min during the match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min has not scored for four matches straight now, after failing to find the back of the net during Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at The City Ground in Nottingham, England, on Sunday.

Son has started for Tottenham in all four of the club's matches since the start of the season but has made just one assist, during Tottenham's first 4-1 win over Southampton on Aug. 5.

On Sunday at The City Ground, Harry Kane opened the scoring for Tottenham just 5 minutes into the match.

Son almost found his chance with his right foot in the 15th minute but narrowly missed the goal as the ball veered slightly above the rim.

In the 32nd minute, Son caught a long pass from Emerson and found himself one-on-one with the Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson, but the linesman's flag went up right after Henderson blocked Son's shot.

The first half ended with the Spurs taking a one point lead.

In the 60th minute, Dejan Kulusevski found Son on the right, then Son attempted to pass the ball to Kane on the left but was blocked by the Forest defense. Son found the loose ball and tried a shot with his left foot but was once against blocked by Henderson.

Without being able to make any real impact in the match, Son was taken off the pitch with Richarlison coming on.

After being put on the bench, Son was seen frowning and shouting unhappily at times.

"We have also seen Son," Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports on Sunday. "When he came off and was on the bench, he was disappointed. And that's normal."

Tottenham Hotspur's striker Son Heung-min reacts to a missed chance during the match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

Seven minutes after being substituted in, Richarlison assisted Tottenham's second goal of the match. After some confusion in front of the Forest goal, Richarlison found the ball and sent it over with an on-point cross that Kane headed into the goal.

With that goal, Kane has now scored 187 Premier League goals, now level with Andy Cole. Only two other players, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney, have scored more goals than Kane in the Premier League now.

With the victory, Tottenham remains undefeated in the new season, with three wins and a draw.

While Tottenham is having a good start to the new season, Son is struggling with his goalless streak of four games.

But Son's last season is testament to the fact that he has the ability to bounce back, after he went through an equally long scoreless streak and still went on to win the Golden Boot.

Last season, after going scoreless for four matches from Oct. 30, to Nov. 21, Son scored one goal in each of the next four matches.

"In this moment, he is suffering a lot that he is not scoring," said Conte on Sunday.

"But he has to continue in this way to trust in himself. In every game he has the opportunity, the chance, to score. He has to be calm, we trust him. You know very well the importance of this player with Harry Kane. For sure, it's a bit disappointing that he is not scoring, but no problem for me nor Sonny. He will always be a part of my vision of football."

Tottenham will next face West Ham United on Wednesday.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]