Son Heung-min ready to lead Tottenham from the front against Manchester United in the Europa League final
Tottenham Hotspur were condemned into another chastening day in the office on Friday, losing 2-0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park. They are the lowest non-relegated side in the entire Premier League, and have lost a ridiculous 21 of their 37 games this season.
Ange Postecoglou is under massive pressure, having failed to transform the club’s fortunes in his second season at N17. His job could be riding on the UEFA Europa League final, although Daniel Levy has seemingly made up his mind of hiring a new head coach ahead of the 2025/26 season regardless of the result in Bilbao.
The North Londoners take on Manchester United in the Europa League final, as Ange Postecoglou’s men look to salvage their embarrassing domestic campaign. Spurs and Man United somehow occupy the two spots above the relegation zone in the Premier League, and the winner of the final will qualify for the Champions League next term.
On Friday, club skipper Son Heung-min made his first start after recovering from a foot problem that had kept him on the sidelines for seven games. After the 2-0 defeat to Villa, the Spurs forward made a rallying cry to his teammates ahead of the Europa League final, insisting “I believe we can do this”.
“I was very happy to see the boys smiling and then happy and celebrating [when reaching the final], which is that they deserve. And still, the job is not finished. So Wednesday we still have a massive, massive job to do it so, and I feel, and I believe, we can do this,” Son Heung-min spoke to the club’s review show.
Having Son back fit in time for the biggest game of the club’s season is a big boost for Ange and his team. It was good to see him get a runout of more than 70 minutes after came off the bench for 30 minutes against Crystal Palace last weekend. After his last couple of outings, Ange also conceded that his skipper is fit and ready to start against United at San Mames.
The South Korean would himself be the first to admit that he has not had the best of seasons in our famous white shirt, despite racking over 20 goal contributions thus far. He showed signs of his former self in the first half against Villa, driving with the ball in spaces and threatening the host with elusive movement and trickery.
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The travelling contingent at Villa Park would have loved Son’s flashes of quality, hoping he produces a masterclass next week and leads the club to European glory. As a leader and the among the most experienced campaigners, Son has to take the extra responsibility and end the club’s long trophy drought.