Is this Son Heung-min’s time to shine? Spurs will rely on the forward with Harry Kane out injured for the rest of the season… and he tends to do better without England man on the pitch
- Son Heung-min scored the only goal of the game as Spurs beat Manchester City
- It came after Harry Kane went off injured and he may be out for rest of the season
- Luckily for Spurs, Son tends to be better when striker Kane is not on the pitch
- South Korean will now be tasked with leading the line as Spurs push for glory
If the first was contentious, the second needs to be the start of something big.
Son Heung-min has been the man at Tottenham’s new ground, credited with the first strike in both of the games they have played there. His opener against Crystal Palace took a deflection — while the one in the Manchester City clash relied on something else entirely.
It is a weird quirk of Son’s recent form that he performs at his best when Harry Kane is not on the pitch.
Son Heung-min scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham beat Manchester City
Harry Kane had gone off with an injury before Son was able to break the deadlock
Son fired the ball past Ederson to give Spurs an advantage going into the second leg
| WITH KANE | TOTTENHAM | WITHOUT KANE |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Games | 9 |
| 24 | Wins | 6 |
| 3 | Draws | 1 |
| 12 | Losses | 2 |
| 73 | Goals For | 17 |
| 1.9 | Avg. Goals For | 1.9 |
| 41 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 1.1 | Avg. Goals Against | 1.1 |
| 61.50 per | Win Percent | 66.70 per cent |
Kane was out injured between January 14 and February 22. During that spell, Son scored four in four. Kane then returned quicker than expected and Son went six games without a goal.
He struck against Palace but still did not look at his best. Then Kane went off injured in the 55th minute of the City match and Son decided the game.
When their talisman has been elsewhere, Spurs have leaned on Son. His movement, his touch on the ball and his overall play means he is ideally suited to be the main man.
Move him back, out to the wing or anywhere but the No 9 slot and he does suffer slightly.
There might also just be a sense that Son and Kane simply do not have the best chemistry as a pairing. That would explain Son’s goalscoring record with Kane around.
Son tends to play better and score more goals when Kane is absent for Tottenham Hotspur
It is also very logical. When Kane is in the team, Spurs have to build everything up to him — and why would they not, when he is such a potent finisher?
But it also limits the ability of other players in the side to get into advanced positions to finish chances off. Son would likely have looked to cross for Kane rather than striking himself had the 25-year-old still been on the pitch.
This, therefore, might be Son’s time to shine. Especially as the England striker might not be around for the rest of the campaign. ‘It’s a worry for us,’ Mauricio Pochettino said about his injury.
‘We are going to miss him – maybe for the rest of the season. We hope it is not a big issue but there is not to much time to recover.
Kane could be out for the rest of the season after picking up the injury on Tuesday evening
‘He twisted his ankle so we will see how it reacts in a few hours.’
Son has already carried them through one difficult patch. When Kane was out injured, he filled that gap.
Those four goals kept Spurs in the hunt for the top four, and in fact, before Kane came back, they were still in the chase for the title.
His hard work in that spell won admirers, not least Pochettino, who said after Tuesday’s game: ‘He ticks all the boxes. If there is one player who deserves to score, it is him.’
Mauricio Pochettino clearly trusts Son and was full of praise for him after the game on Tuesday
Still, the absence of Kane seems like something to fear. That may not be the case.
Contrary to what might be assumed, Spurs tend to pick up slightly more points when Kane is out. They have won 66.7 per cent of their games with their talisman on the sidelines in all competitions, compared to 61.5 per cent with him in the team.
They also tend to draw more when compared to losses when Kane is not playing.
Statistics are one thing, and inevitably the sample size without Kane is smaller than with him. But Son, as evidenced by his style, can benefit from Kane’s absence.
Son will now have to lead the line as Spurs go for the top four and try to win Champions League
Spurs need the South Korean to. They’re going to rely on him for the rest of the season, and that means a tilt for the top four and — with progression a possibility heading to the Etihad — an actual shot at the Champions League.
A few months ago, the big question mark over Son was whether he’d be conscripted into the South Korean army. Now, with Kane gone, he’s been drafted to spearhead Spurs’ front line.
There’s no reason to think he cannot lead the charge.