Is Son Heung-min A 'frontline Defender'...“Tottenham Fans' Approval Rating Tops The Charts“
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The value of the 'hand saw' is not only in scoring, but also in defense.
This season, Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham Hotspur) has attempted more forward presses than any other frontline striker in the top five leagues. He's also the only player in the top 10 in this category to score double-digit goals.
His play is textbook for a modern soccer striker.
The Football Research Institute (CIES), the international sports research center of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), released an interesting statistic on Tuesday (ET).
It revealed the average number of forward presses per game for strikers in the top five European leagues (English Premier League, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and French Ligue 1).
Son Heung-min topped the list. He topped the list with an average of 16.17 press attempts per 90 minutes.
Maximilian Beyer (Hoffenheim) was second with 13.02, and Cameron Archer (Sheffield United) was third with 12.64.
This season, Heung-min Son has been playing in a frontline top role. The departure of his 'best friend' Harry Kane (30, Bayern Munich) to Germany and the attack-minded football of new manager Enze Postecoglou, who took over last summer, has seen him move from the left flank. 먹튀검증
He's flying. In 17 regular-season games this season, he has scored 10 goals and provided four assists.
He's on pace to become the first Asian player to lead the English Premier League (EPL) in scoring in 2021-22. He is currently tied for third in the league in goals, trailing leader Elling Holland (Manchester City) by four goals.
According to the metrics published by CIES, Son is the only player in the top 10 in the top five leagues to score double-digit goals. It's an all-around performance in both offense and defense.
Considering his captaincy and responsibility to lead the squad, it's safe to say he's been one of the most productive players of the year both on and off the pitch.
Fans have responded to this performance with high approval ratings. On Tuesday, Tottenham fans voted for Son as their Player of the Year for 2023, according to local British publication Football London.
"He is the team's top scorer with 10 goals this season, marking his eighth consecutive season of double-digit scoring," the publication wrote, "and has also (brilliantly) taken on the huge responsibility of the captain's armband after Kane's departure," highlighting Son's impeccable record as a striker and captain.
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