Tottenham Hotspur's captain Son Heung-min (32) expressed his disappointment by acknowledging his team's crushing defeat against Liverpool. Son said he felt sorry for the six-goal loss at home, calling it "the worst result." Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah (31) led his team to victory by scoring two goals and two assists.
Tottenham was defeated by Liverpool 3-6 in the 17th round of the English Premier League (EPL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the 23rd (Korea time). With this, Tottenham fell to 11th place in the league with seven wins, two draws and eight losses (23 points) in the season. Unlike Tottenham, which has been in a serious slump with only one win in its last five games, Liverpool solidified its lead with 12 wins, three draws and one loss (39 points) with the victory.
In an interview with Sky Sports, a British media outlet, after the match, Son expressed disappointment over the result of the match. "I'm really disappointed. In particular, allowing six runs at home is the worst outcome. It's really painful," he said, expressing his gratitude to fans and his team.
Asked about his physical fitness issues with many injured players, Son said, "I always want to play as a soccer player. But for now, I have to recover hard and have as many players as possible come back," stressing that he does not want to give any excuses. "We were ready, and we tried to play as sharp as possible."
On Liverpool, Son Heung-min said, "There is no doubt. We are leading the Premier League, and our team has excellent players and outstanding teamwork," in acknowledging the strength of our opponents. "If you make a mistake, you will be punished right away. That's how strong you are," Son said, praising Liverpool's level of performance.
Liverpool overwhelmed Tottenham from the beginning with a 4-3-3 formation. Salah, Luis Díaz, and Cody Hakpo were the three-top players, while Dominic Soboslai, Ryan Hravernberg and Alexis McAllister formed the midfield. Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomes and Trent Alexander Arnold were in defense, and Alisson Becker defended the goal.
On the other hand, Tottenham faced off with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Dominic Solanke was the one-top, and Son Heung-min, James Maddison, and Dejan Klusevski were in the second line. Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr were in charge of the midfield, while Jed Spence, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin and Pedro Porro were four-backed. The goalkeeper's gloves were worn by Fraser Foster.
Liverpool scored the first goal in the 23rd minute of the first half when Díaz finished Alexander Arnold's early cross with a header. Later in the 36th minute, the Tottenham defense failed to handle Robertson's cross properly and McAllister scored an additional goal. In the extra time of the first half, Sobosli, who received Salah's accurate assist, scored and finished the first half 1-3.
Kloosevski's goal scored in the 42nd minute of the first half for Tottenham. However, Liverpool showed even stronger performance in the second half. Salah scored his fourth goal at the ninth minute of the second half due to Tottenham's defense error, and he scored multiple goals in the 16th minute to widen the score to 5-1.
Tottenham chased again with Klusevski's additional goal in the 27th minute of the second half, and Solanke scored another goal in the 38th minute of the second half to keep up with 3-5. However, Liverpool ended the match with Diaz's netting in the 40th minute of the second half. Liverpool scored a total of 24 shots (12 shots on target) on the day, completely destroying Tottenham's defense.
After the match, Son said of Tottenham's aggressive style, "Football always comes with risks. You can lose points even when you step back. This is our style of play. We have to endure it together, whether it is difficult or good times." He continued, "Today's game was very disappointing. It will be the same for players, fans and clubs. But the schedule is tight. We all have to join forces." 먹튀검증
Tottenham fans and local media in the U.K. expressed disappointment over Son's performance. Notably, Spurs Webb criticized him, saying, "He was really disappointing. When I caught the ball, he was not threatening, and his dribbling had no effect." Son had 36 cheek touches and a success rate of 88 percent during the 82nd minute, but had no record of effective shots, crosses or key passes.
However, Son has shown his commitment to fulfill his responsibilities even in difficult situations as the team's captain. "We all need to join forces. We will prepare for a rebound through dialogue," he said, renewing his commitment.
Tottenham is struggling to leap to the top of the list, falling to 11th place in the Premier League due to its defeat against Liverpool. In particular, injury problems and pressure from the defense are likely to make the game more difficult in the future. Fans are paying attention to whether Son Heung-min and Tottenham can overcome this difficulty and rebound.
Q. I lost to Liverpool at home
"It's really disappointing. It's the worst result, especially six runs at home. It's really painful."
Q. I played during the week and there were many injuries. Was there any impact on my stamina during the match against Liverpool
"What should I say? As a soccer player, I always want to play. But for now, I have to recover hard and make sure that as many players as possible can come back. I don't want to make excuses. We were ready and tried to play as sharp as possible."
Q. What a great team Liverpool is
"There's no doubt about it. It's a team that's at the forefront of the Premier League and, as you can see, has great players and great organization. It's clear why it's at the top of the Premier League. If you make a mistake, you get punished right away. That's how strong the team is."
Q. Tottenham is characterized by an aggressive style. Do you think this style sometimes presents risks against strong teams?
"Football always comes with risks. You can lose points even when you step back. This is our style of play. We have to hang in there together, whether it is difficult or good times. Today's game was very disappointing. It will be the same for players, fans and clubs. But the game schedule is tight. We all have to join forces. We have to prepare for a rebound by talking to each other."