‘Captain’ Son Heung-min’s multi-goal performance in the North London derby led to a sweep of the ‘Team of the Week’.

The English Premier League (EPL) announced the 11 players who performed the best in the sixth round of the 2023-2024 season on its official website on May 25 (KST). The EPL Team of the Week will be handpicked by “Legend” Alan Shearer, who holds the EPL’s record for most goals. Son Heung-min earned the honor as a frontline striker. Shearer said: “The move for the first goal was sensational. For the second goal, he was very calm,” Shearer said, praising Son’s performance. This is the second time Son has been named to the Team of the Week. In addition to Son, Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma was named to the team. Bissouma was also praised by ShearerLoboter as “the most impressive midfielder in the North London derby”.스포츠토토

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), who came on as a substitute against Bournemouth and exploded for a multi-goal outburst in the Seagulls’ 3-1 victory, was joined by Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) and Phil Foden (Man City). Abdoulaye Doucoure, James Tarkowski (Everton), Sven Bortmann and Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Jonny Evans (Man United) and Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) rounded out the rest of the list. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was named manager of the week after his 8-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

The BBC also gave Son a thumbs-up for his performance. It named him to its Team of the Week for the sixth round. The front line of the Team of the Week for the sixth round, selected by renowned commentator Garth Crooks, belonged to Son Heung-min. He was selected as a top two alongside Foden in a 4-4-2 formation. “It was an impressive performance,” said Crooks. There was a maturity in his game that we haven’t seen since Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich. Both goals were brilliantly set up by Son.” Son was named to the BBC Team of the Year for the second time this season. Bissouma was also named to the BBC Team of the Week after being named to the EPL Secretary’s Team of the Week.

Bissouma, Bruno Fernandez, Doucoure, and Gordon made up the midfield. Trippier-Evans-Takowski-Kyle Walker formed the back four. Martinez was in goal.

It didn’t end there. The team was also named to the best team of the sixth round of the EPL by European statistician Fourscore.com. The team was based on ratings, with Son Heung-min leading the way as a striker. With an 8.12 rating, Son was the only Tottenham player to make the team. He was joined up front by Callum Wilson, who scored 8.29.

A whopping three Newcastle players made the list. Gordon, Elliott Anderson, and Bruno Guimarães-Foden were selected. Guimarães was rated the best player of the round with a score of 9.72. The back four was Dan Byrne-Virgil van Dijk-Takowski-Trippier. Trippier, who had a hat trick of assists, earned 9.58 points. Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone was the goalkeeper of the tournament.

Tottenham drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the sixth round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) on Thursday at the Emirates Stadium in London, England. The match, which featured two unbeaten Spurs and Arsenal, as well as the first North London derby of the season, was highly anticipated, with Arsenal taking the lead and Spurs chasing it down, but ultimately ending in a draw. After losing both North London derbies last season, Spurs ended their losing streak with a draw this season. With four wins, two draws, and an unbeaten start to the season, Spurs have 14 points. They drop to fourth in the standings. Spurs have now scored multiple goals in six consecutive games since the start of the season. Arsenal has the same 14 points, but is in fifth place due to goal difference.

Son Heung-min, who started, was on fire again. A multi-goal performance. The goal was his 150th in a Tottenham shirt. The goal, his seventh in the North London derby, moved him past Tottenham and Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale, and Robin van Persie into fourth place on the all-time North London derby scoring list. In first place is Harry Kane, who moved to Bayern Munich. He scored 14 goals. In second place is Emanuel Adebayor with 10 goals. Adebayor played for both teams. Roberto Firmino is third with eight goals. Son Heung-min, who scored his fifth goal of the season, is second on the list behind Elling Holland (Man City), who has eight goals. The former Hamburg and Leverkusen star is now just one goal away from reaching 200 career goals in Europe.

Heung-min started the game as a frontline striker, and his “nails” were reactivated. It started against Burnley. Heung-min exploded for a hat trick against Burnley in the fourth round match at Turf Moor in Burnley, England, on March 3. It was Son’s first hat trick in the league this season. It was his fourth career EPL hat trick. After playing a supportive role in the previous three games, Heung-min’s transformation into a creator was immediate and decisive. Heung-min opened the scoring in the 16th, 18th, and 21st minutes of the first half to put Burnley away. The first goal came after a characteristic sprint to create an attacking opportunity. He calmly exchanged passes with Solomon and shook the opposition. Heung-min found the back of the net with a picturesque right-footed chip shot that beat the keeper and two defenders. In the 18th minute of the second half, Son found the back of the net with another calm shot off a pass from Solomon. Three minutes later, he completed his hat trick with a neat left-footed finish off a pass from Foro. It was a goal that showcased good penetration and finishing. It was a fantastic goal that was a work of art and a testament to Son’s ability. Tottenham went on to win the game 5-2.

He was recognized for his performance by being named on the BBC’s selected team of migration, the EPL secretariat of migration, and the five major league teams of migration. Coach Enje Postecoglou also said, “One of the reasons why we didn’t recruit a substitute for Harry Kane is Son Heung-min,” adding, “He has all the characteristics, whether it is in the center or the side. He can play in any system. He is ideal in the way we play,” he stressed. He hinted that he would continue to use Son Heung-min at the front line.

In the fifth round against Sheffield on the 16th, Son Heung-min was at the forefront again. However, he seemed to be disappointed. I couldn’t raise the offensive point. It was a lackluster performance. There was only one effective shot, and there was no key pass. Fuscoed Dotcom gave Son Heung-min the lowest rating in Tottenham with six points. Football London also scored the lowest rating of 6 points, saying, “We couldn’t find a way out of the center.” Struggled with the opponent’s dense defense. Son Heung-min, who moved close to zero-top against Burnley, was able to score three goals while saving his long-term speed through instant penetration. However, there was no such scene against Sheffield. Sheffield used a hundred to completely block the back space. Son Heung-min frequently came down to midfield and tried to attract opposing defenders, but Sheffield did not budge. Son Heung-min, who was heavy in the aftermath of the A match, rarely took a chance. Except for a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty box in the 20th minute of the first half, he failed to make a scene close to the score.

Of course, he pressed strongly from the front and helped the team, but he did not give the weight of a one-top down. Son was eventually replaced in the 35th minute of the second half. Legend Louis Saa, a former French national university, said, “When Tottenham shows dominance, Son Heung-min’s use as No. 9 can be effective when playing against a weak team. However, in a more difficult and stiff game (top-ranked team, rival match), Son Heung-min’s appointment as a center can be a problem. When he stepped out as a “nail” again, it was a game where he got a clear task on how to solve it when playing in a situation where the opponent was on a dense defense and got off. Son Heung-min also said after the game, “I definitely have something to analyze about my game.”

While Son Heung-min was sluggish, Hishal Song showed a revival. When Postecoglou was dragged 0-1 against Sheffield, he made a winning move with a super-strong offensive football with only one defender, and it paid off. He scored two goals in extra time to complete the ‘late’ upset victory in EPL history. The main character was Hishali Song. Hishalisson, who was put in in the 35th minute of the second half, scored a header equalizer in the 53rd minute with a corner kick. It was his first goal in the league this season. Hishali Song, who gained momentum, helped Dejan Kulusevski’s “theater goal” two minutes later. Hishalisson, who wore Tottenham’s uniform for £60 million, the club’s highest ever last season, suffered the worst slump of one goal last season and no goals this season.

Hishal Song finally opened his mouth. In an interview with Brazil’s Globo on the 14th, he confessed, “I’ve been through a period of upheaval outside the ground for the past five months.” “Now, everything is back to normal,” he continued. Those who only looked at my money have left, he said. “Now the situation (around me) will work out again, and then I will stand up with another good performance at Tottenham.” Hishalisson did not specify what the problem was, but Globo said he recently broke up with an agent he had been with since the beginning of his career.

Hishalisson also gave the reason for the hot tears in the match against Bolivia. He also started against Bolivia (5-1 Brazil) on the 9th, but failed to score a goal and was replaced by Hwang Hee-chan’s teammate Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton) in the 26th minute of the second half. However, immediately after the replacement, Hishalisson was caught crying on the bench, drawing attention. “It wasn’t because of my performance, but I was angry about what was happening outside the ground,” he said. “It wasn’t my problem, it was my problem, but people close to me.” I couldn’t control it,” he explained. Finally, he said, “I will be able to come back stronger. It will also be included in the next call-up of the Brazil national soccer team. I will try to be like that. I want to stay in good condition at Tottenham. I’m going to have psychological counseling this week. We have to play well, maintain the rhythm of the game, and be in good condition,” he said.

Son Heung-min was the first to run onto the field after the game and quickly grabbed the Frenchman’s hand. He hugged him and led the fans in an ovation. “I felt even better than when I scored,” Son said, “I heard that he had a hard time. I felt more sorry for him. He’s a player with a lot of talent, but he hasn’t been able to fulfill his potential due to bad luck. I hope today’s performance shows that he has grown up and become more solid. If he gets better in the future, it will help the team.”

The British media praised Son for showing class as a captain. Heung-min’s teammate, but also a positional rival. However, fans and pundits alike gave him a thumbs up for putting the team first. Tottenham fan community SpursWeb wrote: “This is why Heung-min is a fantastic captain. He is a leader, selfless, and empathetic. There aren’t many players who would say and do this to a competitor for a best eleven spot. Rob Daly, pundit for Spurs’ official channel, SpursPlay, said: “Son Heung-Min took his man to the South Stand. What a lovely gesture to congratulate him after his huge impact today.”

European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also said, “Captain Mentality ON…I have no words to say, just respect.”

The British media also debated Son Heung-min’s position. There were more suggestions that he could move back to the left wing, with Heung-min playing up front. But once again, Postecoglou’s choice was a nail. Heung-min lived up to expectations once again with a fantastic performance. Heung-min opened the scoring in the 42nd minute after James Maddison crossed into the Arsenal penalty box, and he rushed onto the ball and slotted it home. He completed his hat-trick 10 minutes into the second half, calmly slotting home a pass from Maddison. Son Heung-min played 79 minutes on the day, creating two goals. While he only had a 0.5 goal differential, he more than made up for it with his determination. He had 18 touches, completing 13 of his 14 passes and making two key passes. He also created one big chance. He also attempted and converted one long pass. Defensively, he won one of two ground battles.

The top performances were followed by a relay of praise. Sofascore gave him an 8.7 rating, the highest across both teams. Within Spurs, only Maddison, with a 7.7, and Guglielmo Vicario, with a 7.5, were above the 7-point mark, with the rest receiving ratings in the low 6s. For Arsenal, Xherdan Shaqiri was the only player with an 8.5 rating, tied with Son Heung-min. He was also the highest rated player on the team with an 8.1 on HootScore.com. Madsen and Vicario were second and third. The lowest score was for Cristian Romero, who scored an own goal. For both teams, Saka topped the list with an 8.2 rating. The Evening Standard also gave Son Heung-min the highest rating of 9. The publication said: “He already has five goals, half of the 10 he scored last season. As well as scoring, he also created a crucial chance for Brennan Johnson. Football Transfer Tavern gave him an 8 rating, second only to Mickey van der Vaan.

Tottenham pulled out a 4-2-3-1 on the day. Son Heung-min started up front, with Johnson, Maddison, and Dejan Kulusebski forming the second line. It was Johnson’s first start since joining Tottenham. Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma were in the midfield. The back four was Destiny Udoji, Romero, Van der Penn, and Pedro Foro, with Vicario in goal. Aside from Johnson, it was the same lineup as before. Arsenal, led by Mikel Arteta, pulled out a 4-3-3. Xhaka-Eddie Nketiah-Gabriel Jesus formed the back three. At the back were Martin Ødegaard, Fabio Vieira, and Declan Rice. The defense was Oleksandr Zinchenko-William Saliba-Gabriel Magalhaes-Ben White. David Raya was in goal.

Tottenham started the game on the front foot. In the third minute, Spurs struck first. Maddison found Johnson on the left, who took a shot on goal. It was blocked by the defense. A minute later, Son Heung-min rattled the Arsenal net. But he was offside. Son Heung-min deflected Bissouma’s shot from a corner kick, but he was offside in the first place. Son disrupted the opposition buildup with his aggressive movement up front. Arsenal pressed hard, centered on Nketiah and Ödegaard, and Tottenham were unable to find a way forward. Arsenal began to take their chances. In the 13th minute, Xhaka’s cross found Jejus. Jezuzu’s shot was saved by Vicario. The game was slowly starting to heat up. In the 15th minute, Udoji was cautioned for a strong tackle on Saka, and Ödegaard was also cautioned for protesting.

In the 16th minute, Nketiah won an interception with strong pressure. He immediately had a one-on-one opportunity, but Vicirio narrowed the angle well to block the shot. Tottenham fought back. Kuluczewski had a shot on goal in the 19th minute, but it was blocked by Raya. Son Heung-min went on the counterattack. He linked up with Kulusebski and Madison to create chances and earn a free kick. His free kick bounced off the Arsenal defense and fell to Sarr, whose shot soared over the top.

Arsenal had taken the lead. It was an own goal. In the 25th minute, a counter-attack that started with a tackle by Jinchenko found Ödegaard, who played a pass straight to Xhaka. Xhaka dribbled in and fired a shot that hit Romero’s leg and went into the Tottenham net. Xhaka continued to taunt his opponent with a series of darts in the box. With momentum on their side, Arsenal had a golden opportunity. In the 32nd minute, Jezus stole the ball away from Maddison and went straight for goal, but his shot was just wide. In the 37th minute, Ödegaard tried his luck from mid-range.

Tottenham fought back. In the 38th minute, Son Heung-min started a counterattack. A pass from Kulusebski found Johnson in the center of the box. Johnson received the crucial pass and finished with a shot, but was denied by a super-save from Raya. With momentum on their side, Tottenham pushed for an equalizer. In the 42nd minute, Son Heung-min scored off a pass from Madsen. Son silenced the Arsenal fans with a finger to his lips after the goal. The first half ended 1-1.

In the second half, Arsenal made a change, taking off Rice and Vieira and introducing Kai Havertz and Jorginho. Arsenal created a chance in the fifth minute of the second half. During a scramble for a corner kick, White fired a shot that hit Romero’s left hand. The referee tried VAR and awarded a penalty kick. Saka stepped up to the plate and converted cleanly. The lead didn’t last long, as it was Son Heung-min again. Heung-min equalized again in the 10th minute off a pass from Madsen. This time, Son performed his signature flick.

Tottenham picked up the momentum. In the 18th minute, on the counterattack, Son Heung-min played a ball into the box, and this time it was Madison who took the shot. It flew high. In the 25th minute, Son took a pass from Kulusebski and tried to shoot from the right side of the penalty box, but it hit the side netting. Arsenal fought back. In the 32nd minute, White’s cross was met by Nketiah, but his header was saved by Vicario. In the 34th minute, Tottenham took off Son Heung-min and Maddison to bring on Heuristicon and Emile Pierre-Hoivier. The two teams battled back and forth. Neither team backed down, and they played hard.

Arsenal broke through in the 39th minute when substitute Reiss Nelson hit a powerful mid-range shot. Romero made the save with his body. The game went into a whopping 10 minutes of extra time. The offense continued in the extra time. On a corner kick in stoppage time, Xhaka unleashed a powerful shot that was saved by Vicario. Tottenham fought back. Kuluczewski’s ball into the box was met by a swiveling effort from Hicharisson, which was blocked by Magalhaes. Hicharisson had another chance, but this time his shot was off target. In the end, the game ended 2-2.

After the game, Son Heung-min said, “I don’t think I really like the players in the locker room after the game, but rather I think it was that kind of atmosphere. I could see how eager the players were to win and how passionate they were to play. I think these things will really help us develop the team further,” he said. Regarding how he felt about playing his first North London derby as captain, he said, “There were certainly players who experienced this game for the first time, and there were quite a few young players among the 11 starters, so I emphasized the speciality of this game a lot. I think we emphasized it by talking a lot to the players that we couldn’t win here (Emirate Stadium) for a long time. Our players are incredibly talented, so they recognized once again that you can show in these games. I think the players took that well and showed everything on the field by liking the pressure,” he said.

On the meaning of his 150th goal since Tottenham’s transfer and 199th goal since entering Europe, he also said, “I am very grateful. I don’t really care about this either, but I’m really grateful that reporters and fans care a lot about it on behalf of me. “I think I’ve been able to live in Europe for so long and score many goals because all the coaches have helped me so much so far,” he said with a smile.

Postecoglou did not forget his praise for Son Heung-min. “Son Heung-min is showing an amazing performance as a leader and as a player. “I put him in position nine and he’s working really hard,” he complimented. “Son Heung-min always thinks of ‘what is best for the team’ as the first thing.” I am very happy because of Son Heung-min,” he added.

Tottenham is preparing to renew the contract in recognition of Son Heung-min’s performance. On the 21st, England’s “90min” reported, “Tottenham is trying to renew a new long-term contract with Captain Son Heung-min.” The media said, “Son Heung-min’s contract period is still more than 18 months until 2025, but Tottenham has decided to extend his contract with Son Heung-min.” He then said, “According to sources, an agreement is expected to be reached by Christmas, but negotiations may be finalized within a few weeks.” Son Heung-min agreed to extend his four-year contract in 2021. There is still time left, but Tottenham is quickly setting up a negotiation table to catch Son Heung-min. If he signs a new long-term contract, Son Heung-min will actually retire from Tottenham.