Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min sent a congratulatory message to Rodrigo Bentancur, who returned from a long injury, as he made his return. 토토
Tottenham won 2-1 in the 10th round of the 2023/24 Premier League against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in London, England, on the 28th thanks to the opponent’s own goal and Son Heung-min’s additional goal.
Son Heung-min, who started as a front-line striker in the 4-2-3-1 format, scored in the 21st minute of the second half following the last match against Fulham, scoring his eighth goal in the league and leading the team to victory. Son Heung-min played full time in this game, the first time in seven games since the last third round against Burnley.
Tottenham 26 points, 8 wins and 2 draws solidified its league lead with this victory. It widened the gap with Manchester City 21, 7 wins and 2 losses, which has yet to play, by five points, and will be able to maintain its lead position until the next round. On the other hand, Palace 12, 3 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses will remain in 11th place in the league table with this loss.
Tottenham, which finished 0-0 in the first half, began to take the lead with their own goals. In the 8th minute of the second half, Papasar, who received Pedro Porro’s pass from the right side of the penalty box, immediately tried to pass, which hit the defensive body and headed to James Madison. Maddison kicked a low cross towards the central player, which hit Palace defender Joel Ward on the foot and cut into the net.
Tottenham, which took the lead, brought the atmosphere of the game as Son Heung-min scored an additional goal. In the 21st minute of the second half, Brennan Johnson, who received Sar’s pass, gave the ball to Madison, and Johnson, who received Madison’s pass again, attempted a cutback pass, and Son Heung-min, who is located in the center of the penalty box, finished it with an accurate left-footed shot and scored. It was a scene where Son Heung-min’s positioning and finishing ability shone.
Since then, Tottenham has also allowed Palace to counterattack in extra time in the second half. The prisoner failed to properly clear the opponent’s long pass with a header, and Jordan IU, who was waiting behind the prisoner, grabbed the ball and shook Tottenham’s net with a volley shot. IU’s handball foul was suspected and there was additional confirmation through VAR, but it was recognized as a score. However, it did not allow additional runs and eventually won 2-1.
The victory over Palace solidified its lead by maintaining its unbeaten run in the league after the opening of Tottenham, and in addition to Tottenham’s victory and Son Heung-min’s score, there was a scene that caught the attention of fans. Bentancur appeared on the ground through a second-half replacement.
Tottenham, which was about to end the game in the 44th minute of the second half, brought in Dejan Kulusevski and replaced Bentancur. Bentancur, who was put in at the end of the second half, was on the ground for a short period of time, including eight minutes of extra time.
Tottenham fans welcomed Bentancur’s return as he appeared on the ground. Bentancur, who appeared on the ground after about eight months, made a safe return to injury as a substitute against Palace.
Bentancur started and scored well against Leicester City in the 23rd round of the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, which he won 4-1 in February, but fell to the field in the 15th minute of the second half after colliding with Leicester midfielder Nangfalis Mendy.
Bentancur, who collapsed on the pitch, held his knee and complained of immense pain. As he could no longer play, he immediately left the stadium and underwent a thorough diagnosis, and was ruled out for the season due to a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee.
It was a bolt out of the blue. Bentancur’s season out was a big blow to Tottenham. Bentancur appeared in 26 games and scored six goals and two assists throughout all tournaments before being injured by scoring a lot despite being a midfielder. At that time, only two Tottenham players, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, scored more goals than Bentancur. Under former coach Antonio Conte, midfielders such as Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr fell, and Pierre-Emile-Hoybier also fell in ability to produce offensive points, so Bentancour’s injury was truly a bomb for Tottenham.
It was a major injury, so Bentancur had to continue his rehab training even as the 2023/24 season began. Still, he was originally expected to return in November, but he made a return at the end of October, a little earlier than that. Bentancur, who was recently spotted kicking the ball on the ground and is nearing his return, also slammed a cool mid-range shot into the goal, making Tottenham fans look forward to it. Finally, in Tottenham’s last game in October, he came on as a substitute and succeeded in returning to injury.
Tottenham fans and players warmly welcomed Bentancur as he overcame a long-term injury and returned to the ground. In particular, Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, who is usually close to Bentancur, welcomed his return to Bentancur.
After the match, Son Heung-min said in an interview with Britain’s Sky Sports about the possibility of winning the championship, I’m not thinking at all. I can’t say we’re going to win the league because I’m experienced, he said. I want to stay humble because it’s early in the season.
We want to see what happens in the second half of the season after getting three points in each game. Let’s work hard and see what happens, he added.
However, Son Heung-min, who was calm, smiled at his teammate’s return. Bentancourt is an incredible player that makes me smile, he said. We waited for him to come back, and I was excited when Bentancourt showed up on the ground today.