Son rises to occasion again for Tottenham in 2-0 win vs Huddersfield
By Gary Pearson
A Son Heung-Min double secured the 2-0 win for Tottenham in a dominant home display that showcased the Grand Canyon-size gulf in class between the sides.
Huddersfield were pinned deep for the duration, unable to gain a foothold in what was a perfect tune-up for Spurs ahead of their clash of the titans with Juventus midweek.
First half
A comfortable first half for the home side saw Son headline the show thanks to his craftiness, ingenuity and decisiveness.
Spurs were crisp and lively from the onset, knocking the ball about with zip, always offering an option off the ball. Harry Kane almost connected with Dele Alli at the back post after mere minutes, the ball just whipping out of Dele’s reach.
Ben Davies made a statement with a couple of no-nonsense, hard-nosed slide tackles. Son then took centre stage, swiftly leaving Florent Hadergjonaj in the dust with one discrete swing of the hips. He carved out space on the wing, fizzed in a tantalizing ball for Kane, whose redirection was saved well by Jonas Lössl.
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Son burst through on goal in the 27th minute, bagging Tottenham’s opener on a stunning bit of attacking play. Huddersfield, showing the latent naivety of a newly promoted side, attempted to catch Spurs offside. That strategy failed miserably due to Tottenham’s incisive, one-touch passing.
Eric Dier won possession deep in his own half, knocked it to Kane who chested on to Dele. The enterprising midfielder relayed through to Son, who found himself free on goal. The affable South Korean pulled it around and Lössl and deposited with conviction and supreme ease.
Christian Eriksen also had a few close calls. His earlier free kick deflected off the wall and skimmed the post. Minutes later, the Dane nutmegged Jonathan Hogg and smashed a grass cutter into Lössl’s thankful hands.
Second half
Son had a penalty claim in the 52nd minute which was ignored by Kevin Friend. He was, however, in an offside position but the flag was never raised. Son’s indecision saw the chance slip away.
Tom Ince found a rare sight of goal for the visitors but Hugo Lloris was up to the task, saving well on the venomous drive.
The South Korean was at it again in the 55th minute, this time using his head to devastating effect. Kane picked up the ball on the wing and swung an inch-perfect cross-turned-through ball into Son’s path. Kane’s remarkable vision was complemented perfectly by his absurdly precise weight of pass.
Davies once again showed his class, mowing down Daniel Williams on a perfectly timed last-gasp slide tackle. Williams was poised to unleash on Lloris’ goal and, had Davies not intervened expertly, may have troubled the Frenchman.
Kane found himself in acres of space on a 79th minute corner. He got great contact on the volley but the direction was slightly off.
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Mauricio Pochettino’s men leapfrogged into third place with the victory, although Liverpool have an opportunity to regain third spot with a win over visiting Newcastle this evening.
Regardless of that result, Spurs are now unbeaten in 17 in all competitions, their longest run since 1967. It’s a perfect recipe for their most important match of the season against Juventus on Wednesday.