Son stunner at Leicester buoys Spurs for Barca mission
Son Heung-min scored a brilliant opener before turning provider for Dele Alli to seal a routine win for Tottenham at Leicester.
Published : Dec 09, 2018 09:56 IST
Tottenham tuned up for its crunch Champions League clash against Barcelona with a clinical 2-0 Premier League victory against Leicester City.
Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen were able to rest up on the bench and enjoy a stunning Son Heung-min opener on the stroke of half-time. Dele Alli headed in his 50th goal for Spurs in all competitions to make the points safe, moving Mauricio Pochettino's side back up to third in the table following Chelsea's 2-0 win over champion Manchester City earlier on Saturday.
Tottenham now faces the daunting task of needing to better Inter's result against PSV when it takes on Barca, which was in rampant form in a 4-0 derby demolition of Espanyol in LaLiga.
READ | Magical Messi dazzles in 4-0 derby demolition
Son's wild and wayward free-kick was entirely out of keeping with what he produced in first-half stoppage time. Shortly after Wes Morgan produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny Alli, the Korea international shifted the ball on to his left foot and, from 25 yards, crashed an unstoppable strike past Kasper Schmeichel.
In an attempt to rouse his side from its creative slumber, Claude Puel brought on Rachid Ghezzal and Marc Albrighton for Vicente Iborra and Kelechi Iheanacho. But Leicester was dealt a body blow as Nampalys Mendy coughed up possession and Son turned provider, scampering into space on the left flank to cross for Alli to power past Schmeichel's best efforts.
Eriksen and Kane were then handed late run outs before right-back Serge Aurier worryingly hobbled off and Leicester's challenge fizzled out – the ninth-placed club seeing its unbeaten Premier League run halted after six matches.
What does it mean? Spurs back on track after derby setback
In a week when Jose Mourinho has bemoaned the rest of England's major clubs having the means to improve at a quicker rate than Manchester United, it is worth remembering Pochettino ended up not spending a penny on his squad during the last transfer window. It has been a season littered with setbacks on and off the pitch, but Tottenham's capacity to bounce back hints at a resilience it has previously lacked. It's two wins from two since last weekend's derby setback against Arsenal and 12 from 16 in the Premier League this season.
Son adds another beauty to the collection
Tottenham's best performances and Son hitting top form seem to be increasingly intertwined. His opening goal was entirely different to the lung-bursting solo run that slayed Chelsea a couple of weeks ago but no less impressive. A supreme cross to Alli crowned a brilliant performance.
Key Opta Facts
- Tottenham's tally of 36 points from 16 games is its best start to a Premier League season.
- Since it returned to the Premier League in 2014-15, Leicester has conceded 22 goals against Tottenham in the competition, more than it has against any other opponent.
- Puel has now lost more Premier League games against Tottenham (4) than any other opponent.
- Today was the first time that Tottenham has started a Premier League game with neither Eriksen nor Kane in its starting XI since March 8, 2014.