Son and Kane net together season’s 12th goal

Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, currently the best EPL duo, have collaborated for yet another scoring. The South Korean winger and the English striker of Tottenham Hotspur have each recorded an assist and a goal on Round 12 against Crystal Palace on Sunday local time at Selhurst Park Stadium.

In the 23rd minute of the game, Harry Kane slammed an opener from distance after collecting a pass from Son. It marked the fourth assist for Son (10 goals) and the ninth goal for Kane (10 assists) this season. Son has amassed 20 attack points, pulling off a combined 13 goals and seven assists including the three goals and three assists from UEFA Europa League. Though the match ended up in a tie as Tottenham conceded an equalizer in the end of the second half, but the Hotspurs kept their lead in the English Premier League with 25 points (seven wins, four draws and one defeat).

It was the duo’s 12th joint goal this season. This means the two are responsible for half of the 24 goals that Tottenham netted this season. Only Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton in 1994-1995 found more goals together in a single season with a total 13 goals. Only halfway the season at the moment, the Korean-English duo will likely break the record with ease.

Son and Kane, who found a total 32 goals in EPL so far, are also getting closer to another record-breaking. Currently the title is held by Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, who scored 36 goals under Chelsea from 2004 to 2012.

Pundits say Son and Kane’s teamwork, the ability to respect the strength each other and bring out the best, is peaking out. The four assists Son made this season all went to Kane. The British also gave eight assists to Son out of 10. Now finding each other has become their second nature inside the penalty box.

Under Mourinho, Kane is taking the additional role of a playmaker, dragging defenders down to half line and distributing passes in the middle. This enables Son to show his strongest suit – peeling off defenders with overwhelming speed and countering the goalie one-on-one. The South Korean is conceding an increasingly amount of chances for his British teammate even if he has a chance to hit the ball himself. In addition, Son’s kick precision is well dovetailed with Kane’s overwhelming height. During the match with Crystal Palace, Son engaged three defenders in the side, which offered wiggle room for Kane on the other side and allowed him to have a go at the goal unmarked.


Jae-Yeong Yoo elegant@donga.com