Son Heung-min sets an impressive milestone with 450 appearances for Tottenham

Son Heung-min has reached the remarkable milestone of 450 appearances for Tottenham, marking another achievement in the club's history. The team secured a valuable victory after four games.

On the 6th (Korean time), Son Heung-min started the match against Southampton in the 31st round of the 2024-25 Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and played for approximately 57 minutes until he was substituted in the 57th minute.

With this, Son Heung-min achieved the impressive record of ranking 7th in Tottenham's all-time appearance list. The BBC highlighted, "Son Heung-min has played his 450th match for Tottenham."

On this day, Son Heung-min assisted Brennan Johnson's opening goal by providing a penetrating pass to Spence after breaking through on the left flank in the 13th minute of the first half. Although it was not officially recorded as an assist, he played a vital role in initiating the team's attack and infused energy.

Tottenham secured victory after four matches… Southampton confirmed relegation in the shortest period

Tottenham defeated Southampton 3-1, thanks to Brennan Johnson's two goals and Matthijs de Ligt's sealing goal.

In the 13th minute of the first half, Jed Spence, who received Son's pass, crossed from the left, and Johnson finished with a left-footed shot to score the opening goal.

Then, in the 42nd minute of the first half, Johnson finished a header pass from James Maddison, ending the first half with a score of 2-0.

Southampton revived their hopes for a comeback with a goal from Mateusz Fernandez in the 90th minute, but Johnson earned a penalty in stoppage time, which Matthijs de Ligt successfully converted, concluding the match at 3-1.

The standout performer of the day was undoubtedly Brennan Johnson, who scored two goals. After a somewhat disappointing stint since transferring from Nottingham Forest, he became the key player in the team’s victory.

Brennan Johnson, who scored multiple goals

Notably, in stoppage time, Johnson had the opportunity to take the penalty he earned himself, aiming for a hat-trick; however, he opted to give the chance to Matthijs de Ligt due to a club decision. De Ligt did not waste this opportunity and recorded his first Premier League goal.

Manager Postecoglou said, "Johnson showed excellent performance. His decision to put the team before himself deserves praise."

Meanwhile, due to the loss, Southampton remained at the bottom of the league in 20th place (10 points), confirming their relegation to the Championship for the next season.

Even if they win all remaining seven matches, they will not be able to catch up with 17th place Wolverhampton (32 points), marking an infamous record for the shortest time to confirm relegation in Premier League history.

The decision for relegation was made with seven matches still remaining, exceeding the previous record (relegation with six matches left).

Son Heung-min's records and Tottenham's upcoming schedule

As of this season, Son Heung-min has recorded 7 goals and 9 assists in the Premier League. To extend his streak of double-digit goals in the league to nine consecutive seasons since the 2016-2017 season, he needs to add at least 3 more goals in the remaining matches.

Particularly, Southampton had been a "bogey team" for Son Heung-min, conceding 13 goals and 8 assists in their previous encounters, making his failure to score today even more disappointing.

Manager Postecoglou fielded his best players, including Son Heung-min, but substituted him and Bentancur in the 57th minute to manage their fitness.

This strategy is interpreted as preparation for the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg against Frankfurt (Germany) in four days.

With this victory, Tottenham recorded 11 wins, 4 draws, and 16 losses (37 points), moving up from 16th to 14th place in the league.

On the same day, Manchester United drew against Manchester City in the derby, recording 38 points and intensifying the competition at the bottom. Tottenham needs consecutive wins in the remaining matches to secure a middle-table position.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min ranks 16th in the EPL with 127 goals from 331 matches and 17th in assists with 71. He has a total of 198 attacking points, and with just 2 more points, he will reach the milestone of 200 attacking points.

This season, Son Heung-min has played 42 official matches, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists. In the EPL, he has 7 goals and 9 assists, while in the Europa League, he has recorded 3 goals and 1 assist.

Image source: Match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton in the 31st round of the 2024-25 Premier League / gettyimageskorea