Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min had an emotional return to the pitch in their 4-1 win over Aston Villa but wasn’t thrilled with how it ended.
The 32-year-old, back from a two-week injury hiatus, was a key part of Spurs’ equalizer, providing a brilliant cross that set up Brennan Johnson’s goal.
However, just six minutes after that assist, manager Ange Postecoglou decided to sub Son out, bringing Richarlison onto the field in his place. Son seemed taken aback when he realized his number was up on the fourth official’s board. His surprise was evident as he walked off, exchanging a quick acknowledgment with Postecoglou before heading to the bench.
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Once seated, Son’s frustration became even more obvious. Cameras caught him looking irritated and mouthing some words under his breath, clearly frustrated at being pulled from the game so early. Fans picked up on his reaction right away, with one saying, “Fans are as surprised as him,” and others echoing similar sentiments about how “in the zone” he seemed to be.
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers also had a similar reaction on the other side. After opening the scoring for Villa, Rogers was unexpectedly substituted by his manager Unai Emery with the game still tied. It looked like he wasn’t too pleased about leaving the field either, with Villa fans just as surprised by the decision as Spurs fans were with Son’s.
Despite the initial reactions, Postecoglou’s call ultimately proved to be the right one. Spurs went on to claim victory with a final score of 4-1, thanks to a late double from Dominic Solanke and a stellar free-kick from James Maddison.
In the end, both managers made bold substitutions that stirred up reactions, but Postecoglou’s gamble paid off in a big way for Tottenham. It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Son and the fans, but Spurs fans can be happy with the result.