Son, Hwang to have their first clash for EPL season

The two Korean players in the English Premier League this season, Son Heung-min (aged 30, Tottenham Hotspur) and Hwang Hee-chan (aged 26, Wolverhampton Wanderers) are gearing up for their clubs' first meeting of the season on August 20 at 20:30 Korean time. The 2022-2023 EPL third-round game will be held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

This is their third clash in the EPL. After Hwang joined the EPL, the two met in EFL Carabao Cup and EPL respectively. Neither of them scored a goal during those matches.

Son and Hwang are desperately looking for their first goal of the season as both have scored only one assist in two games so far. Winning the Golden Boot last season, the first for an Asian player, with a career high 23 goals, Son has not scored any goal yet while his team scored a total of six during the last two matches. Son ranked top five in the 2022-23 season scorer prediction by British betting sites before the season started but is still scoreless unlike the other four. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) scored two while a shared winner with Son for top individual goals last season Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), former Portuguese Primeira Liga Player of the Year Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) and Son's perfect duo Harry Kane (Tottenham) scored one goal respectively.

Tottenham has reinforced its attacking options before the season adding as many as six players including Richarlison. And Son, as last year's top league scorer, is heavily hindered by opposing defenders in matches. He needs to adapt fast to the changes both internal and external that surround him.


Bae-Jung Kim wanted@donga.com