A look back: the explosive December of Heung-Min Son at Tottenham

Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur set the Premier League on fire in December. While Son did contribute many assists, it was his goalscoring that put him among the best players for the month. Here’s a look back at this explosive performance.

Few people could have foreseen Son’s incredible form. Early in December, we had an inkling that Son would be a ‘difference-maker‘ in the coming weeks.

Going into the month, though, he only played an average of 30 minutes per match. Son’s chances for finding any sort of rhythm were slim and his stat sheet suffered for it.

For some reason, Pochettino decided to start Son in the crucial Chelsea match in late November. After all, it is known that Poch is certainly not afraid of taking risks. The gamble paid off with Son scoring a goal and putting the Spurs up by 3. His strike put the game on ice and all Chelsea could muster was a late Giroud goal. From then on, the Korean winger started 7 out 8 games and played in every one of them like it was his last.

His unprecedented form this past month demanded attention from many Premier League supporters and ex-players. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said that Son is a “lethal finisher.” Pochettino stated that Son is in his “best season.”

This all sounds very nice, but nothing matters in football unless it is backed up by numbers and results. Son has had no problems with either. There’s even an argument to be made that Son was the best forward in the previous month. Yes, the best.

Son is tied for first when it comes to goals scored in the last 7 matchweeks, alongside Salah and Tottenham’s own Kane. Lethal finisher indeed. This means he outscored the likes of Aubameyang and Firmino. He also scored 3 more goals than Eden Hazard and 4 more than Sterling in that time period. We’ve made a little graphic to show what kind of company he is in- and who he’s outplayed.

Even though he’s spun heads with his goalscoring ability, his eye for the assist should not be overlooked either. Over the past 7 matchweeks, Son has contributed 5 assists. This is as many as league-leader Hazard.

What makes his performance promising for Tottenham’s title fight is that while Son has been contributing assists to Kane, Kane has been returning the favor. This is something that has been missing in the final third for Tottenham. Having two “lethal finishers” with strong chemistry, Spurs can win a trophy this year. Or several.