A second-half Son Heung-min hat-trick inspired Tottenham to a 6-2 victory over Leicester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Son, who replaced Richarlison after the break, ended his Premier League goal drought this season with a spectacular 14-minute hat-trick to pile more misery on Leicester City, who remain winless.
Youri Tielemans’ retaken penalty gave Leicester City an early lead, but Harry Kane quickly equalised before Eric Dier headed Spurs in front. James Maddison’s stunning half volley made it 2-2 at the break.
Spurs started strongly after the interval and were duly rewarded, as Rodrigo Bentancur curled finish restored their lead. And then Son stole the show, sealing the win with two fantastic strikes before adding a third by smartly beating the offside trap.
The victory sees Tottenham climb to second on the table, while Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester remain rooted to the bottom of the table. On that note, here’s a look at how the Spurs players fared in their big win over the Foxes.
Tottenham Player Ratings vs Leicester City
Hugo Lloris – 7/10
Hugo Lloris initially saved a penalty but it had to be retaken for encroachment off the line. There was little he could do to keep the second strike from Tielemans out. Made a couple of important saves and distributed the ball well.
Davinson Sanchez – 3/10
Davinson Sanchez gave away a penalty by making a clumsy challenge on James Justin. Looked shaky and uninspiring at the back with Patson Daka giving the Colombian international a tough time. Subbed off in the second half.
Eric Dier – 6/10
Eric Dier rose highest in the box to flick home a neat finish from an Ivan Perisic corner. He wasn’t at his assured best when defending, though.
Clement Lenglet – 6/10
Clement Lenglet was neat on the ball and often stepped up to help the Spurs attack. Kept things simple at the back, which was required against a high-pressing Leicester City side.
Ivan Perisic – 6/10
Offered a lot of energy and impetus going forward and was involved in Spurs’ equaliser. Bagged an assist for Dier’s goal from the corner kick. Defensively, the Croatian struggled a bit and was taken off in the second half.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 8/10
Rodrigo Bentancur dispossessed Wilfred Ndidi in the centre of the pitch to dribble and score past Danny Ward to make it 3-2. Brilliantly set up Son’s goal by picking James Justin’s pocket in a crowded area. The Uruguayan was excellent after a sloppy first-half display.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 5/10
Not his best game in a Spurs shirt as the Dane lost possession many times and looked frantic in the first 45 minutes. Lacked the energy and vigour with which he usually plays.
Ryan Sessegnon – 5/10
Got easily bullied by Timothy Castagne for Leicester City’s second goal as he failed to stop the Belgian from supplying a cross to Maddison for the finish. Enjoyed some joy down the left flank to go forward and join in attacks.
Dejan Kulusevski – 6/10
Produced an excellent cross from the right for Harry Kane’s equaliser. Linked up brilliantly with his teammates and helped Spurs carve the Foxes open on a number of occasions. Subbed off in the 70th minute.
Richarlison – 4/10
Richarlison gave away the ball numerous times and rarely threatened the shaky Leicester backline. Showed good energy to press from the front but was just not effective and got subbed off for Son.
Harry Kane – 6/10
Harry Kane timed his run to perfection for the goal that took his tally to 20 strikes in 19 appearances against Leicester City. Dropped deep at times to link play and help Spurs get a foothold in the game.
Substitutes
Cristian Romero – 5/10
Replaced Sanchez at the hour mark. Cristian Romero steadied the ship after coming on.
Emerson Royal – 5/10
Came on for Perisic in the 55th minute and did his job well on the right flank.
Son Heung-min – 9/10
Son Heung-min proved in north London that form is temporary and class is permanent. Dropped out of the first XI after a poor run of form, he silenced his critics and responded to Antonio Conte in style by making an instant impact.
The South Korean curled home a right-footed effort before whipping a left-footed shot past Ward to make it 5-2. He then beat the offside trap and ran on to latch home Hojbjerg’s pass, thereby, completing a 14th-minute hat-trick. A fantastic display!
Yves Bissouma- 4/10
Yves Bissouma replaced Kulusevski in the 70th minute and gave some more control in midfield for Conte’s side.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.