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Son Heung-min stars as Tottenham deliver first-half blitz in 5-0 rout of Southampton

Published: 16 Dec. 2024, 12:09 Updated: 16 Dec. 2024, 17:44

PAIK JI-HWAN
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Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min celebrates during a Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in England on Dec. 15. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min racked up one goal and two assists in a dominant 5-0 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday, marking Son’s highest goal contributions in a single match this season and breaking the all-time assist record for Spurs in the league by Darren Anderton with his 68th assist.

Spurs quickly made it a one-sided affair, scoring all five goals in the first half.

James Maddison opened the scoring after capitalizing on a through-ball within the first minute before some fans had even taken their seats at St Mary’s Stadium. Son doubled the lead in the 12th minute, striking inside the penalty box to squeeze the ball past goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min scores a goal during a Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in England on Dec. 15. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The Spurs captain continued to make intelligent runs down the left flank, leading to a sharp cross that Dejan Kulusevski eventually converted from a rebound in the 14th minute.

Son was at it again in the 25th minute, cutting in from the edge of the box to feed the ball to Pepe Matar Sarr, who fired home.

The Son-Maddison duo proved a constant threat until halftime. In stoppage time, Son threaded a perfect pass to Maddison, who scored his second goal from a tight angle, sealing the 5-0 win for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur celebrate during a Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in England on Dec. 15. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

“Yeah, they were brilliant,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said about Son and Maddison in a post-match press conference. “I think they sensed that they needed to [play well] tonight. We’re just spread so thin that we’re asking young players and players who haven’t played a lot, and others who are playing all the time, to go out there and still try and play to our identity, still try and play the football we want to. I thought they were both a catalyst for that tonight with both their football and their mindset of just going out there.”

“We had to start strong today. We kind of knew we’d probably run out of gas at the end of the game, considering the lineup we had and coming off Europe on Thursday night, so I think the players sensed that and credit to them for starting the game that way.”

Sunday’s win broke Tottenham’s five-game winless streak, lifting the London club to 10th place in the Premier League. It was also the biggest win Spurs have secured this season across all competitions.

For Southampton, the defeat adds to a tough season, with the club having won only one of their first 16 matches, sitting at the bottom of the table as of Monday.

Sunday’s heavy loss was another instance where Southampton ended the first half with a five-goal deficit, a feat they've managed four times before, including a match against Leicester City in 2019. No other Premier League team has done so more than once.

Son’s contributions on Sunday bring his tally this season to six goals and six assists in 18 appearances. The goal follows his strike against Chelsea on Dec. 8, marking his first back-to-back goals of the campaign.

Spurs will now turn their focus to the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United on Thursday, where they must stay alive to end their 16-year trophy drought.

Tottenham will remain busy as they continue their Premier League campaign, alongside participation in the Europa League and FA Cup.

After the Carabao Cup, Spurs will face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.

In the Europa League, Tottenham are currently in ninth place, with two more group stage matches remaining before the knockout stage. Spurs need to finish in the top eight to secure a direct spot in the round of 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th will face knockout playoffs to determine who progresses.

Tottenham will also face fifth-tier Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup on Jan. 12.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]