Son Heung-min returns from injury to provide assist in 4-1 win over Aston Villa

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Son Heung-min returns from injury to provide assist in 4-1 win over Aston Villa

Published: 04 Nov. 2024, 12:43 Updated: 04 Nov. 2024, 17:58

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min shoots during the Premier League match against Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min picked up an assist in the Premier League match against Aston Villa upon his return from injury, contributing to a 4-1 victory on Sunday.

The fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London saw Aston Villa take the lead in the 32nd minute when Morgan Rogers scored from close range after a corner kick.

However, Spurs quickly equalized in the second half. Son made an agile run down the left flank, delivering a precise pass into the penalty area that Brennan Johnson converted in the 49th minute.

This assist marked Son’s first since returning from an injury that had sidelined him for matches against Crystal Palace on Oct. 27 and Manchester City on Oct. 30.

Dominic Solanke put Spurs ahead with a chip shot in the 75th minute and added another goal four minutes later after some good positioning in the penalty box.

James Maddison sealed the 4-1 victory with a free kick, but Son did not remain on the pitch for the entire match as Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou substituted him in the 56th minute.

“He was never going to play more than that today because, obviously, he had an injury,” Postecoglou said of Son in a post-match interview. “Last time, it was around the 60-minute mark when he fatigued, so he was never going to play more than sort of 55 or 60 minutes, irrespective of how the game was going. The great thing was that he made a pretty important contribution with a great ball for our first goal. We have more battles ahead and we’re going to need him.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou reacts during the Premier League match against Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Son initially sustained a hamstring injury during the Europa League match against Qarabag FK on Sept. 26. He returned in the Premier League match against West Ham on Oct. 19, scoring in that game, but missed two additional matches as he had not fully recovered.

Sunday’s win placed Spurs in seventh place on the 20-team table, with five wins, one draw and four losses.

The victory comes ahead of a busy schedule for Tottenham, facing Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday and Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Nov. 10. The match against Ipswich will be the final game for Spurs before the November international break, during which some players, including Son, will join their national teams.

The Korean national team, of which Son is the captain, will participate in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, facing Kuwait on Nov. 14 and Palestine on Nov. 19.

After the international break, Spurs will again have a busy schedule, remaining in contention in the Carabao Cup, having reached the quarterfinals after defeating reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the round of 16.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]