How Conte can get Spurs star Son on the goal trail

Tottenham Hotspur have endured an inconsistent campaign — and no player sums up their season quite as well as Son Heung-min. 

The South Korean star had a Premier League season to remember last term, scoring 23 goals — a feat which meant he shared the golden boot with Mohamed Salah. 

His efforts were key to ensuring Antonio Conte’s men qualified for the Champions League, pipping rivals Arsenal to fourth place. 

However, despite seemingly carrying positive momentum into this campaign, Tottenham — despite maintaining a steady league position – have failed to truly burst into life. 

The same can also be said for Son, who has largely looked a shadow of his former electric self — despite starring against Preston North End in Saturday’s FA Cup clash.

With summer signing Richarlson fit again and Arnaut Danjuma arriving on loan, the 30-year-old will need more performances of that ilk, to continue being one of the first names on the teamsheet. 

We enlisted the help of the Twenty3 Toolbox to understand why Son’s form has dipped in such a dramatic manner — and whether that impressive display at Deepdale could mean a revival is on the cards.

Struggling for end product 

Son has earned a well-deserved reputation as a lethal finisher in recent seasons — if found in dangerous situations, he would most likely put the ball in the back of the net.

This season, however, he has yet to demonstrate this incredible trait. Son has fired off 49 shots — the eighth-most in the Premier League, yet has only scored four goals. 

In comparison, Marcus Rashford has taken 50 shots — only one more — and scored nine times. Rodrigo has netted 10 from 48 attempts. 

Son’s production has simply not been at his lofty standards this year — even midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have recorded the same number of Premier League goals. 

Lack of service

There is more to Son’s struggles than initially meets the eye, though. Tottenham’s ball progression from the centre-backs, wing-backs and central midfielders limits Son — so often he can be seen asking for the ball to feet with his back to goal.  

As a result, there is nobody stretching the defence — arguably Son’s greatest strength. 

His xG this season stands at 4.54, suggesting he has scored roughly as many goals as he can be expected to, given the positions has been able to shoot from. 

There is enough evidence to suggest that Spurs are not manufacturing enough chances for Son. 

To support this argument, the South Korean has managed only 53 touches in the opposition box so far this season. For context, central midfielders Granit Xhaka (54) and Joe Willock (65) have both recorded more. He is simply not being found in dangerous positions. 

If Spurs can start to hold the ball for longer periods in the final third and progress the ball from back to front more consistently, they could get Son back to his lethal best.

Kane outlier 

However, Harry Kane is still scoring at a very impressive rate, which does raise expectations that Son should be doing the same. 

The England captain has scored 16 goals, though he is overperforming his xG, which stands at 14 exactly — he has done superbly to maintain this scoring record despite Spurs’ offensive failings. 

The striker has a tendency to drop deep and find willing runners in behind — the crux of Kane and Son’s previously lethal partnership. 

The pair even wrote their names into the record books during Spurs’ 4-0 win at Leeds United in February 2022 —  the third goal in that game meant Kane and Son had combined for the most goals in Premier League history. 

Kane grabbed seven assists in 2021-2022 and a league-high 13 in 2020-2021. But, this season, he has failed to register even one, suggesting he is performing a more orthodox centre-forward role this term. Son could be suffering as a result, deprived of his chief provider.

Still, there are signs that Son can revive his season. He has produced 51 progressive runs — the ninth-most in the league — suggesting that, when he does receive the ball, his intention remains to get forward quickly. 

All parties involved must look at their roles in this issue. Antonio Conte must first look at his tactical set-up and find a way to provide the South Korean with better service. But Son should also look at Kane, who, in the same set-up, has still managed to sustain world-class numbers. If an answer can be found, Tottenham will be all the better for it.

All graphics in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.