Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min "not worried" about goal drought

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 09 September 2022

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min is "not worried" about his goal drought after failing to score in his side's first seven matches of the 2022-23 season.

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min has insisted that he is unfazed by his slow start to the new season and is confident that the goals will soon flow.

The South Korea international is already playing catch-up in the defence of his 2021-22 Golden Boot having failed to get off the mark in six league games so far this season.

Son - who struck 23 times in the Premier League last term - only has one goal contribution to boast this season, setting up Eric Dier's header in the Lilywhites' 4-1 win over Southampton on the opening weekend.

Despite his sticky patch in form and the signing of Richarlison, the 30-year-old has remained an integral part of Antonio Conte's plans, starting all seven of his side's games in the Premier League and Champions League.

Instead, Dejan Kulusevski has been dropped to the bench to accommodate an in-form Richarlison, who scored both of his side's goals in Wednesday's opening Champions League win over Marseille.

Son Heung-min in action for Tottenham Hotspur on August 6, 2022 © Reuters

However, Son firmly believes that the goals will begin flowing once he puts one in the back of the net, and he is less concerned than he would be if he was not being presented with opportunities to score.

"If I'm honest, if I wasn't getting chances in the game I would be worried but I'm still getting chances," the Daily Mail quotes the former Bayer Leverkusen man as saying.

"In some games, there have been unlucky moments. In some games, it has been a bad finish. In some games I'm really frustrated because if I have some massive chances and the ball doesn't go in.

"It makes me just laugh. But I am not worried about it because the team and the staff and all the fans are helping me. I think if I score one the confidence will be back and I hope I can go on and score more goals.

"This is going to make me stronger. This is something I can see will be an improvement because I still have a lot of space for improvement. As a team and as an individual as well. Most important is that we are doing well as a team. I'll do everything the team needs."

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min pictured on May 22, 2022 © Reuters

Son also has the backing of his manager Conte, who told reporters last month: "In this moment maybe he's suffering a lot that he's not scoring. But he has to continue in this way and trust himself because in every game he has the opportunity, the chance to score and then he has to be calm.

"We trust him and the teammates. You know very well the importance of this player with Harry Kane and for sure he's a bit disappointed that he's not scoring but no problem. For me, Sonny will always be a nut in my team, in my ambition of football."

Son made history as the first-ever Asian winner of the Premier League Golden Boot last season - sharing the accolade with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah - and he now has 131 goals and 75 assists to boast from 332 games in a Tottenham shirt.

The attacker is still waiting for his first trophy with the North London club since making the move from Bayer Leverkusen seven years ago, but Spurs have made a strong start to the new campaign to sit third in the Premier League table - one point below leaders and bitter rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham were due to take on reigning champions Manchester City - whom Son has scored seven goals in seven games against - this weekend, but the Premier League announced on Friday morning that the next round of fixtures would be postponed in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death.