Son Heung-min scores four goals against Southampton

“We’re walking on Sonshine (Son+sunshine),” wrote The Spurs Web after Son Heung-min showed a brilliant performance against Southampton FC. In an away match against Southampton FC on Sunday, Son scored four goals, his personal best, leading the Tottenham Hotspur to a 5-2 victory. His first came during the injury time in the first half when the Spurs were trailing 0-1 and his second, third, and fourth goal came in the 47th, 64th, and 73rd.

Son became the first Asian player to score four goals in a single match in the English Premier League (EPL), which began in 1992. Tottenham were transformed after halftime, wrote The Spurs Web. It praised Son’s four goals and a hat trick by saying “a dismal first half was punctuated” as Harry Kane’s left foot found Son Heung-min.

Other English media outlets reported Son’s great performance of the day. BBC wrote that Son and Kane “demonstrated an understanding that deemed almost telepathic at times.” GiveMeSports said, “When he’s at his best, no defender on the planet stands a chance against the ice-cold 28-year-old striker.”

In a Man of the Match poll conducted on the official website of the Premier League, Son earned 71 percent of votes, overtaking Kane with 19.6 percent. Only 28 players including Son have scored four goals in a single game since the Premier League began. The Independent gave Son 10 points, saying, “There are few players who can lay claim to being as ruthless and versatile as he is when it comes to one-on-one chances.”

With Sunday’s performance, Son dispelled concerns that he might lose ground after the arrival of Gareth Bale of Wales. ESPN praised Son’s performance by saying he got in behind the Southampton defense with his excellent runs forward and Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho knows that he has “two world-class forwards” he can always rely on no matter how bad the rest of the team plays. Football experts viewed that contrary to popular belief, Bale’s return to Tottenham would give a boost to Son.


hun@donga.com