English Professional Soccer Premier League (EPL) Tottenham manager Anze Postecoglou has praised Son Heung-min for being at the center of his side’s big win over Newcastle United.
Tottenham escaped a five-match winless streak (one draw and four defeats) with a 4-1 victory over Newcastle in their Round of 16 home game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Nov. 11.
Son set up Tottenham’s first and second goals with two first-half assists, and then drove a wedge into the game in the 40th minute with a penalty kick of his own that made it 3-0.
Postecoglou praised Son for being at the center of the big win.
“He set the tone for us early on,” Postecoglou said in his post-match interview, “He made good moves every time he got the ball, and that’s leadership.”
“The presence of Son Heung-min was a big difference from the last few games (without a win),” Postecoglou said, adding that “we deserved to win.”
Postecoglou, who has been dealing with a string of injuries to players including James Maddison (ankle), Micky Van der Penne (hamstring) and Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle), also praised Hischarlisson’s multi-goal performance.
After undergoing surgery on a groin injury, Tshicharlison came on as a second-half substitute against Manchester City on Sept. 3 and West Ham on Sept. 7, but on this day he started up front in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Tshicharlison took a pass from Son Heung-min in the 38th minute for a 1-0 lead and calmly flicked it with the inside of his left foot into the top corner of the net, then made it 3-0 15 minutes into the second half by finishing a pass from Pedro Foro with his left foot.
“I think his good form has translated into a good mentality,” said Postecoglou, “and his energy will be a boost for Tottenham.”