Tottenham Hotspur recently escaped from a two-game losing streak by defeating West Ham United. At the same time, it also succeeded in leaping to fourth place in about two months. Son Heung-min took the lead in the victory by scoring an additional goal in the 23rd minute of the second half as a substitute.
Tottenham scored consecutive goals from Emerson Royal and Son Heung-min in the 24th round home game of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2022-2023 season against West Ham United held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England at 1:30 am (Korean time) on the 20th. They went ahead and won 2-0.
Tottenham, who won that day, escaped from two consecutive defeats in the official game, and ended their two matches against West Ham United undefeated (1 win, 1 draw) this season. It took a step up to 4th place on the leaderboard (13 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses, 42 points), pushing Newcastle United (41 points) to 5th place.
Son Heung-min started from the bench that day and went in as a substitute in the second half and digested 27 minutes including extra time. As soon as he was put in, he moved freely from the front, and in the 27th minute of the second half he received a pass from Harry Kane, his ‘soul mate’, and scored an additional goal to lead the victory. He broke his silence by scoring his 5th goal in the EPL and his 9th goal of the season.
Previously, Tottenham lost to Leicester City in the 23rd round of the EPL and fell to AC Milan in the first leg of the round of 16 of the European Football Federation (UEFA) Champions League (UCL), losing two consecutive matches. That’s why we desperately had to turn things around in a win over West Ham United.
However, the situation was not good. Rodrigo Bentancur, Hugo Lloris, Yves Bisuma, and other key players went down with injuries one after another, and manager Antonio Conte was not in good health after undergoing surgery to remove the gallbladder, so he decided to take a break.
Tottenham, however, recently came out with the determination to win against West Ham United by making use of their strong side, such as going undefeated in three matches in all competitions. “Everyone feels a great sense of responsibility,” head coach Christian Stellini said, “during training, I definitely felt that I could change the atmosphere again through victory. I’m confident” and promised victory.
Tottenham came out with a 3-4-3 formation. At the forefront, Richarlison, Kane, and Dejan Kulusevski formed a triangular formation. The midfield consisted of Ben Davies, Pierre-Emile Hoivier, Oliver Skipp and Emerson. The defensive line was formed by Clement Lenglet, Eric Dier and Christian Romero. Fraser Foster was in goal. Son Heung-min started off the bench.
Tottenham swept their hearts out as they faced a crisis with the kick-off. In the first minute of the first half, Thomas Suchek connected a cutback from the right side of the box, and Jarod Bowen, rushing into the arc circle, attempted a non-stop left-footed shot, but it missed the goal slightly.
Tottenham, who had passed the hurdle once, took the initiative and seemed to seize the opportunity. In the 12th minute of the first half, Richarlison was hit by Tiller Kehrer’s hand when connecting a pass after enduring the defense with his back in the box. However, it was not recognized as a handball foul. The decision did not change even after the video review (VAR).
Leaving behind the disappointment, Tottenham attacked. In the 17th and 26th minutes of the first half, Kane and Emerson each 바카라사이트attempted bold mid-range shots, but both were blocked by the defensive wall. In the 35th minute of the first half, Hojbjerh aimed a shot at the left goal, but it was caught by goalkeeper Ukasz Fabianski.
Tottenham used their concentration and drove again. In the first half of extra time, Kane’s penetrating pass was put into the box, and Richarlison’s rushing shot was hit by goalkeeper Fabianski. In the ensuing corner kick chance, Romero’s header went slightly over the top of the goal. Tottenham finished the first half scoreless.
Tottenham missed a golden opportunity with the start of the second half. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Kulusevski intercepted the ball through pressure near the half line, exchanged a one-two pass with Kane, broke through into the box and gave a cutback. However, as Richarlison’s shot was less powerful, goalkeeper Fabianski easily caught it.
At the moment when the frustrating flow continued, Tottenham broke the balance with the first goal. In the 11th minute of the second half, Davis exquisitely broke down the defensive line and succeeded in overlapping, then stabbed the pass, and Emerson calmly pushed it into the corner of the left goal from a perfect open chance in the box.
Tottenham immediately passed the risk of conceding an equalizer. In the 13th minute of the second half, Angelo Ogbonna’s long pass from the defensive camp was connected at once, and Bowen’s left-footed shot, which quickly ran into the box, was saved by goalkeeper Foster.
Head coach Stellini has made a change. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Richarlison was removed and Son Heung-min was put in. It hit perfectly. Tottenham widened the gap further with an additional goal. In the 27th minute of the second half, Kane stabbed a forward pass, and Son Heung-min, who penetrated the back space, shook the net with a right-footed shot after a fantastic first touch.
Tottenham overcame a tight battle for leadership and continued to increase their possession. Even though I didn’t make a threatening scene at the time of attack, I didn’t even allow a chance for West Ham United, who took the last counterattack, such as taking an aggressive change. In the end, Tottenham sounded the victory by maintaining a two-goal lead with the remaining time.