Son Heung-min’s flurry of late-season goals, 15 in the last 18 matches, coincided with Dejan Kulusevski’s arrival at Tottenham.
Now I’m not suggesting the only reason Sonny won the Golden Boot was due to Kulu’s arrival on the scene, but the Swede’s presence certainly helped.
Kulusevski made his first Spurs appearance against Southampton on Feb. 19, a 15-minute cameo appearance off the bench. That was the very same match Sonny scored to kick off a hot streak that extended through Spurs’ final match against Norwich, in which he bagged a brace to cement his milestone as the first Asian to win the Golden Boot.
it's just so beautiful 😭 pic.twitter.com/fpqYWEcCbJ
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 23, 2022
Kulu made his first start against Manchester City two matches later. Everyone will remember the Swede’s first goal, brought on by a lethal counter attack which saw him slot home on an assist from, you guessed it, Sonny.
It was the initial signs of a blossoming, distinguished symbiotic relationship. Add Harry Kane to the mix and it’s no wonder why Spurs claimed fourth spot, ripping it from Arsenal’s fingertips.
It wasn’t until Kulu won his spot in Antonio Conte’s first 11 that Sonny’s goalscoring exploits really took off. Sonny scored a goal against Leeds two matches later and finished the season in formidable fashion, with 14 goals in as many matches.
Kulu also scored against Leeds and added seven assists thereafter, capping off a dream start for the Swede in north London. Sonny, and Kane for that matter, certainly benefitted from having Kulu’s tenacious power slaloming up and down the pitch.
Kulu scored five goals after arriving from Juventus and Kane bagged 12 of his 17 with the Swede in the team.
The triumvirate, led by Sonny’s historic Golden Boot-winning campaign, were at times unplayable, which bodes incredibly well going into the 2022-23 season, assuming Kane stays put, an increasingly likely outcome after Spurs cemented their place in the Champions League.