Tottenham Hotspur were well and truly humbled today as they fell to a 4-1 Premier League defeat at the hands of Leicester City.
In what was a more tightly-contested affair than the scoreline would suggest, the final result ultimately came down to proficiency in front of goal. Possession was split 50/50, while the Foxes enjoyed four more shots and three more on target, which made the difference in the final reckoning.
It was another toothless display from the Lilywhites, who essentially saw their hard work in defeating Manchester City last weekend undone as they succumbed to Brendan Rodgers’ plucky outfit.
There were a few players to blame for this lack of scoring touch, and once again plenty of it must fall at the feet of Heung-min Son. He continued his toothless run and even performed worse than the disaster debutant Pedro Porro.
How did Heung-min Son play against Leicester?
The South Korean has struggled this season; that much is apparent.
After scoring 23 league goals and setting up another nine last term, in the current top-flight campaign he has whimpered to just four goals and three assists so far. Despite this huge drop-off, the 30-year-old has retained his place in the starting XI even with the quality of £60m man Richarlison on the bench.
Today marked a mere continuation of that form, as Son’s lack of creativity often killed attacks with potential, and his work rate was non-existent.
On his first start in English football, Porro could be somewhat excused as he acclimatises to the speed of the game. His 6.4 rating was underpinned by a 40% dribble success rate, seven duels won from 13 attempted, and losing possession 13 times (via Sofascore).
Son even managed to outdo the latter statistic as he lost possession 14 times from just 33 touches. This meant that he was dispossessed for every 2.3 touches of the ball; and with this being his 253rd Premier League appearance, he cannot hide behind the mask of unfamiliarity like his 23-year-old team-mate.
This was supplemented by his lack of cutting edge, as his two crosses did not meet their intended target on either occasion, and he could only muster a 73% pass accuracy, completing a mere 11 passes.
For comparison, Porro at least had one successful cross and completed 82% of his passes. These continued parallels are made even more depressing given how the latter is nominally a defender.
Should Son be dropped?
Yes
No
Although Son may have earned the same Sofascore rating as his aforementioned team-mate, the statistics suggest that he was the far inferior performer.
Today was one of many ineffective displays that the South Korean has suffered this season and only serves to accentuate his drastic downfall from his Golden Boot-winning 2021/22 campaign.
