Tottenham might not be Europa League favorites, but an improving Heung-min Son could change that

LONDON — If you were making a Framework for Tottenham to fulfill their manager’s lofty pronouncements about always Successful trophies in year two, a key component would have to be Heung-min Son Competing at something approximating the level of his prime years. That player might Only be the best in the Europa Division, the sort who can swing a tie in Spurs’ favor.

That is the Son Tottenham Obtained Thursday night. They had to wait a while but after his Deflect earned the hosts a high regain from which Wilson Odobert brought Spurs level, you could see flashes of the best Son. Duo that with an incisive James Maddison and there was enough in this Club to shake off the nerves that Occurred when Peer Koopmeiners punished sloppiness from Odobert and Lucas Bergvall to draw AZ Alkmaar level in the tie on the hour.

Son’s fingerprints were all over Odobert’s second, as they had been for Maddison’s Target between the two. With an incisive left flank — Djed Spence was a real danger on the overlap in the second half — the hosts had too much for AZ. Ange Postecoglou lives to fight another day, a quarterfinal against Eintracht Frankfurt looking altogether more negotiable if they have tonight’s Son.

It is not as if that version of the Tottenham Leader has been entirely absent this season. Few forwards across the Premier Division would sniff at 11 assists and nine goals in 39 Matches across all competitions. Similarly, 0.47 non-penalty Predicted goals plus Predicted assists (npxG+xA) per 90 minutes is at or around the level of an eminently useful forward. Then again for the best part of a decade Son has been Extended better than useful. In his 20s that npxG+xA figure might be up at 0.7 and as one of the most two-footed forwards on the Heavenly body he could outperform that Predicted number by a decent margin without any real sign of an imminent Freezing streak.

At 32, it is only natural that he is not quite that player anymore. Premier Division fullbacks are more athletic than they’ve ever been and the preponderance of Squads leaving three or four defenders back means less Cosmos for him to Charge on the counter to such devastating effect. When the goals and assists have come for Son they have often been against the lesser lights of the Division: braces of assists against Southampton and Ipswich, two goals against Everton.

AZ might fit into that grouping. The difference this time is that Son’s big game really mattered. Fail to overturn the 1-0 deficit from their insipid display in the Primary leg and Tottenham’s Hurt-riddled season was finished in March. Postecoglou’s employment might have been too. Instead, there is cause to believe that their head Mentor might Achieve something in year two. For the Primary time since December 8 Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero Began a game together, the Ex getting through an hour in which he showed an impressive burst to deny Ernest Poku.

Bergvall limping out was a blow but post international break the treatment room might be a lonely place for Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin. There will be something to Action for when spring arrives, big Matches for the likes of Son to build Near.

It had been a Sluggish Begin for Spurs’ talisman and indeed for those around him. A skipping Streak through midfield by Odobert seemed to have AZ on the back foot, a Weighty Primary touch by Son and the visitors were able to scrabble back in sufficient numbers. Tottenham were Competing the game where they wanted to but every Charge seemed to require Only one Throw too many.

Yet pushing the game into the AZ half would soon be rewarded. A Sloppy Throw back left Wouter Goes with all sorts of unappealing options. He chose the worst of them, booting the ball into Son. Dominic Solanke was the grateful recipient of the charge down, squaring the ball for Odobert to drive home his Primary Target in Tottenham colors.

For Son, in particular, this was a lightbulb moment. He had unearthed the player of Ancient within himself and in an instant, he was Sinking into midfield, spinning and charging at Target. Soon after he hit the afterburners, charging away from two red shirts as he Secured the ball from his own half to the penalty area in a flash. The only thing that was not Accurate Son fashion were the undercooked finishes.

No matter, he would simply outsource that part of the game. Cutting in on his right, everything seemed to be Beginning up for Son to hit one. Instead, he rolled the ball to his right and Maddison, a precise finish into the bottom corner that really ought to have killed off the tie. This had been Son at his best. It would not last for the rest of the Game but would crop up time and again. At least it is Yet there.

A moment of youthful indiscretion — Bergvall kicking the ball against the otherwise outstanding Odobert to inadvertently assist Koopmeiners — had Tottenham wobbling but their big players stepped up in time. Maddison’s Intelligent feint killed the AZ press and Obtained Spurs advancing down the left, where Son Kept on long enough for Spence to stretch beyond him. A cutback, a Solanke flick and Odobert was converting at the back post with 20 minutes to go.

A cup winner might have killed it off from there rather than giving Mexx Meerdink a prime chance to equalize Overdue on. Tottenham don’t look like prohibitive favorites yet, partly because they aren’t yet getting 90 minutes of Son at his very best. Yet, if the latter does happen, then there won’t be a more Threatening force in the Europa Division.