Spurs v Arsenal is Son Heung-min’s chance to show he’s still capable of Kane-esque impact | OneFootball

The first North London Derby of 2024/25 presents Tottenham with an opportunity to gain a semblance of revenge over their neighbours.

Spurs came from behind twice to salvage a point at the Emirates last term but were narrowly beaten 3-2 at home after finding themselves three goals down before the stroke of half-time.

In both games, James Maddison could not complete the full 90 (playing 78 and 64 minutes, respectively), but the Lilywhite playmaker did manage to create both goals on Arsenal soil, with Son Heung-Min converting on each occasion. Since joining from Leicester City last summer, he’s been Ange Postecoglou’s chief creator, having created 73 chances and registered 11 assists. Indeed, during this period, only Cole Palmer (15), Ollie Watkins (14), Mohamed Salah (13), and Bukayo Saka (12) created more goals.

Going into matchday three, before the September international break, Maddison had assisted in four of his last five Premier League games, including the previous two matches of the 2024/25 season. No Spurs player has ever assisted a goal in each of their first three games in a single campaign before, and that will remain the case, as the seven-time England international was only able to create two chances with none converted.

It nevertheless has been a return to form for Maddison, who produced five assists while scoring three more across his opening 11 league appearances for Spurs before suffering a serious ankle injury that robbed him of 10 matches in England’s top division. He would endure an indifferent back end of the 2023/24 campaign (four assists and one goal across 17 games), ultimately costing him a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad at Euro 2024.

Though Maddison wasn’t part of interim boss Lee Carsley’s first squad, with the former U21 head coach opting for some new faces in midfield, the door hasn’t been entirely closed, especially if he can keep up this early-season momentum. After the opening three matchdays, only Kevin De Bruyne (1.61), Dwight McNeil (1.55), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (1.5) have a better xA than Maddison (1.43).

However, for all of Maddison’s influence, the feeling remains going into this NLD that he’s far from being Spurs’ main man. “We look at this Tottenham side and you know everyone talks about Maddison an awful lot, but Son [Heung-min] is the main man, he has been for years. I mean he can make them tick,” one-time Three Lions manager Sam Allardyce said.

It’s only natural that after losing Harry Kane, the talismanic figure falls to his partner in crime who remains. Furthermore, he’s scored eight goals against Arsenal in all competitions. In the history of the fixture, only Kane (14), Emmanuel Adebayor (10), and Bobby Smith (10) have netted more than the Korean.

He’s only scored more against Southampton (12), Leicester City (10), Crystal Palace, and Borussia Dortmund (both nine). If we break those Arsenal goals down further, seven have come in the Premier League, with them coming in his last nine appearances after blanking in his first nine outings. Last season, he scored in both matches, something he’s only previously managed to do in the 2021/22 season.

Son also endured a topsy-turvy 2023/24 campaign. Despite finishing with 17 goals, his joint-second-highest return in a Premier League season, the Chuncheon native saw the first questions about whether he’s starting to enter the twilight of his career. He somewhat addressed those critics, but the feeling still lingers with him in his final contract year.

Even at 32, he remains one of the fastest players in the Premier League, with his quickest sprint reaching 35.13 km/h. The South Korean forward has already utilised this pace effectively, scoring two goals in three matches, and no player in Europe’s top five leagues has won possession in the attacking third of the pitch more times this season (six times).