Son fires brace as impressive Tottenham down Huddersfield
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ByEurosport
Updated 03/03/2018 at 19:04 GMT
Premier League, Wembley – Tottenham 2 (Son, 27, 54) Huddersfield 0
Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates as he scores their second goal with Harry Kane during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium on March 3, 2018 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
Heung-Min Son scored twice as Tottenham moved to within a point of second place, courtesy of a routine 2-0 victory over Huddersfield.
The South Korean deservedly got Spurs off the mark with a goal in the 27th minute. The 25-year-old timed his run to perfection to latch onto Dele Alli’s through-pass and break the visitors’ offside-trap before coolly rounding Jonas Lossl and slotting into an empty net.
Harry Kane was thwarted by Lossl earlier in the first period while Christian Eriksen’s deflected free-kick struck the post, but the hosts could not add a second before half-time despite having 75 per cent of possession.
However nine minutes after the restart Son put the game out of Huddersfield’s reach with his 15th goal of the season when he converted Kane’s sumptuous cross from the right-channel.
With one eye on Wednesday night’s last-16 Champions League tie with Juventus, Tottenham slipped into second gear as they ran down the clock, but still Huddersfield were unable to seriously test their rearguard.
The win moves Spurs into third, a point above fourth-placed Liverpool - who host Newcastle in Saturday’s late kick-off – while Huddersfield drop to 15th, three points above the relegation zone.
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Tottenham's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their second goal with Harry Kane
Image credit: Reuters
TALKING POINT: Spurs show no complacency but bigger challenges lie ahead
Mauricio Pochettino stressed how important this match was before kick-off and his team selection confirmed how seriously the Tottenham boss was taking the game, despite Juventus lying in wait on Wednesday in what should be an epic last-16 Champions League contest.
Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen was thrown straight back into the starting line-up, while the big hitters Eriksen, Dele Alli and Kane were also involved.
And Pochettino will be delighted his key players went unscathed while producing yet another convincing display at Wembley: Spurs have now won their last five games at their newly-adopted home and must be favourites to progress to the quarter finals of Europe’s elite competition.
The win also provides Spurs with some breathing space in the battle for a top-four spot in the Premier League as they are now five points clear of Antonio Conte’s unconvincing Chelsea in fifth.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Heung-Min Son (Tottenham)
Tottenham have been accused of being too reliant on Kane so it was a relief for Pochettino that Son took on the responsibility of scoring goals this afternoon. The South Korean international now has 15 goals this season, with 13 coming at Wembley - surely he must start against Juventus?
PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Lloris 6, Aurier 7, Vertonghen 6, Sanchez 6, Davies 7, Dier 6, Dembele 6, Eriksen 7, Alli 7, Son 9, Kane 7. Subs: Lamela 5, Sissoko 5, Moura 5.
Huddersfield: Lossl 7, Hadergjonaj 6, Kongolo 6, Zanka 6, Schindler 6, Hogg 6, Williams 6, La Parra 6, Pritchard 5, Quaner 6, Mounie 5. Subs: Billing 5,Depoitre 5, Ince 5.
KEY MOMENTS
17’- SAVE! Magnificent from Son. He spins away from his marker on the left channel and then slides the ball into the feet of Kane in the six-yard box, he tries a first-time shot which is excellently saved by Lossl.
19’ - OFF THE POST! Tottenham win a free-kick, 30 yards out but very much in Eriksen territory. He shoots, it takes a wicked deflection, wrong-footing Lossl, but it spins away from goal, whacks the post and goes out of play.
27’ - GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Huddersfield (Son): Spurs, and Son, grab the goal they deserve! The South Korean has been excellent and now he breaks the deadlock. Schindler tries to play the offside trap and gets it badly wrong as Alli picks out Son in acres of space behind the defence, he coolly rounds Lossl before slotting into an empty net.
54’ - GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Huddersfield (Son): A fantastic goal on the counter-attack from Spurs! Kane drops to the right channel to receive the ball, he holds it up, takes a glance and picks out Son with an inch-perfect cross! The South Korean heads it first-time past Lossl with the ball nestling into the corner.
KEY STATS
- Mauricio Pochettino has reached 100 Premier League wins as a manager in 197 games – the joint-6th quickest alongside Kenny Dalglish. Only Jose Mourinho (142), Alex Ferguson (162), Arsene Wenger (179), Rafa Benitez (181) and Claudio Ranieri (187) reached it in fewer games.
- Spurs are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions - their best run since a similar streak between December 1998 to March 1999 under George Graham.
- They are undefeated in 14 league games at Wembley since the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea in August (W9, D4).
- Son Heung-Min has been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances at Wembley (nine goals, four assists)
- Only Harry Kane (38) has been involved in more goals for Spurs in all competitions this season than Son (24 - 15 goals, nine assists).
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