Tottenham skipper Son Heung-min will be raring to put in a masterclass vs Man United in the Europa League final
Entering a cup final with no momentum whatsoever behind you very rarely bring success, and that will be the main worry lingering over Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21.
Spurs were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa at Villa Park on Friday evening, as Ange Postecoglou made some big decisions when picking his starting XI. It was essentially a dead-rubber Premier League fixture given there is nothing at stake in the Premier League. Instead, it was an opportunity for some players to get minutes in their legs and be ready for Wednesday’s big European night in Spain.
Against Aston Villa, Son Heung-min made his first start for Spurs after recovering from a foot problem that had kept him on the sidelines for seven games. He played 74 minutes before being substituted, with the Tottenham skipper earning some valuable game time under his belt. After the game, the South Korean forward made a rallying cry to his teammates ahead of the Europa League final too.
Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold was impressed by the first-half performance of Son Heung-min against Villa and backed Ange Postecoglou to start him in the Europa League final. He felt there were “moments” where he looked like his old self and urged the Tottenham gaffer to use him on the left flank against Man United.
Previewing the Europa League final with fellow journalist Rob Guest on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, Alasdair Gold said on Son:
“Yeah, with Sonny, I saw little aspects of the Sonny that we love in the performance. Not a lot, but just little aspects of sprinting away from players. He’s kind of almost like half-to-half runs where he was leaving players in his wake, and we haven’t seen a lot of that this season at all, which kind of suggests this foot injury has been more of an issue for him for a longer time.
“Definitely there were moments where he looked like the Sonny that can kind of cause any team a problem, and if he’s going to play like that, you get him in there on the left wing. Absolutely, you’re starting him straight away, or in a number ten role, whichever way they’re going to go for.”
Alan Hutton predicts the future of Tottenham Hotspur legend Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min will be raring to give his best vs Man United in the Europa League final
With experienced players such as James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, having Son back fit in time for the club’s biggest game of the season is a massive lift for Ange and his team. It was nice to see the forward get a runout of more than 70 minutes at Villa Park after he came off the bench for 30 minutes in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace the weekend before.
After his last couple of outings, Ange also revealed that the South Korean star is fit and ready to start against United on May 21. Son has had an underwhelming season, struggling with form and fitness. Even though his numbers are not that bad, the 32-year-old has not been as sharp and decisive in the final third as he used to be before.
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Intriguingly, we witnessed flashes of his old self in the first half against Villa, something which should give the fans a lot of hope heading into the showpiece event in midweek. If there is anyone who deserves to win the trophy, it is none other than our legendary Son.