We may get to see Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan play together for a while longer this time around.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur will face off in the 12th round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) season on Nov. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England. Wolverhampton are 14th in the table with 12 points, while Tottenham are second with 26 points.
Son made his PL debut in a Tottenham shirt in 2015-16, when he was called up by Mauricio Pochettino. In the early days of his career, he struggled with inaccurate touches and poor off-the-ball movement. However, he didn’t give up and worked on his deficiencies, establishing himself as one of the best players in the PL.
It wasn’t until Hwang Hee-chan moved to the PL that Son and Heung-min found themselves in the same league. Hwang joined Wolverhampton on loan for the 2021-22 season. He later made the move permanent and has been a mainstay for Wolverhampton ever since.
The first time Son and Hwang met was in the third round of the 2021-22 English Football League Cup (EFL Cup). However, they didn’t spend much time together. Hwang started the game, while Son started from the bench. It wasn’t until Son came on as a substitute in the 17th minute of the second half that the two played on the same pitch. The game was won by Wolverhampton on penalties. Their total time together in the first match was 28 minutes.
Their first meeting in the league took place in the 25th round of the 2021-22 season. Again, the two players didn”t spend much time on the pitch together. In contrast to the EFL Cup, Son Heung-min started this time and Hwang Hee-chan was on the bench. In the 36th minute of the second half, Hwang came on as a substitute, and Son played the full nine minutes.
Tottenham then went on to face Wolverhampton, but there was no Korean derby. Son Heung-min started both games against Wolverhampton last season, but Hwang Hee-chan was a different story. Hwang came on as a substitute in the third round, but only after Son Heung-min left the field, and didn’t play in the 26th round.
However, this matchup is likely to be a long one. This season, Son and Hwang have been the aces of their respective teams. Son is second in the league with eight goals, while Hwang is the team’s top scorer with six.
Park Ji-sung also highlighted the match. In an interview with the Wolverhampton Express, Park said, “Korean soccer fans will be excited. It’s not often you see Korean players playing head-to-head in the PL. Both teams are playing well this season, so I’m looking forward to the match.”
Son Heung-min was named Tottenham’s new captain ahead of the season and wore the captain’s armband in the opening match. However, it was a less-than-stellar performance, with the left winger threatening twice but failing to convert on goal. On top of that, Son Heung-min was fouled in the Tottenham penalty box and gave away a penalty kick. Fortunately, goals from Christian Romero and Emerson Royale earned them a 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Son Heung-min started on the left wing, but he wasn’t the same player. He was more of a helper, creating chances for his teammates rather than creating them himself. Enze Postecoglou opted to play him up front. However, with the Frenchman struggling as he did last season, he began to move Son up top, which allowed Son’s goalscoring form to flourish.
Tottenham were missing Kane. Kane came up through the Tottenham youth ranks. He spent the first part of his professional career on loan, gaining experience before returning to Tottenham and becoming their signature striker. Kane was at the top of his game, winning three PL goals and one PL assist. Even last season, Kane scored 30 of Spurs’ 70 goals. Kane was the lifeblood of Tottenham’s offense.
When Kane moved to Munich this summer, Postecoglou looked to him as a replacement. However, he was just as disappointing as he was last season. He couldn’t keep the ball in the attacking third and was indecisive.
In his frustration, Postecoglou opted to play Son Heung-min up top. Postecoglou’s decision to play Heung-min up top paid off. Heung-min’s goal-scoring has improved with his move up front. Heung-min scored a hat trick against Burnley.
Since then, he’s continued to play the nail (Heung-min + up top). Heung-min was silent against Sheffield Wednesday but came alive in the North London derby against Arsenal. The Gunners took the lead when Xherdan Shaqiri’s shot was deflected by Romero. Son Heung-min restored parity when he found the back of the net from a pass from Maddison. Tottenham then conceded a penalty to fall behind again. However, Son Heung-min quickly equalized and the score remained 2-2.
Thanks to Son’s performance, Tottenham have maintained a good start to the season. With four wins and two draws in six games, they sit in fourth place behind Manchester City. Spurs faced Liverpool at a crucial juncture. Both Spurs and Liverpool were unbeaten. The matchup could have resulted in their first league defeat.
Postecoglou went with a combination of Son, Heung-min, and Dejan Kluczewski in attack. It was expected that Heung-Min Son would start on the left wing, with Hischalisson starting up front. However, Postecoglou’s tactics were unconventional. He opted to play Son up top and left back. Once again, Postecoglou’s choice worked.
Tottenham had the numerical advantage when Curtis Jones was sent off for a dangerous foul. They took advantage and scored the first goal. The hero was Son Heung-min. Maddison slipped a pass through the defense, and it found its way to Heung-min on the left side of the penalty box. Heung-min put his foot to it and scored the team’s first goal. Cody Gakpo equalized just before halftime to make it 1-1.
In the second half, Liverpool went into a holding pattern as Diogo Jota left the field with an accumulation of cautions. Tottenham continued to pound away at Liverpool’s goal, but it was not to be. The game was settled in second-half stoppage time. Pedro Foro’s strong ground ball cross from the right side found the foot of Joel Matip, who headed home an own goal. With the win over Liverpool, Tottenham remained unbeaten.
Son was silent against Luton, but got back on the scoresheet against Fulham and Crystal Palace. With Son’s performance, Tottenham started the season on a high note. They went unbeaten and stayed on top. Spurs faced Chelsea in the 11th round, and the return of Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham’s stadium drew a lot of attention.
With Chelsea struggling to start the season, a Tottenham victory was expected. Spurs scored an early goal to take the lead. But there was a twist. Cristian Romero was fouled inside the penalty box, conceding a penalty and earning a red card for a dangerous tackle. Cole Palmer converted the penalty to level the game and put Spurs on the wrong end of a numerical disadvantage. To make matters worse. Mickey van der Vaan went down holding his hamstring in defense and left the field.
Spurs held on despite being one man down. But the momentum shifted to Chelsea when Destiny Udogie was sent off for accumulated cautions. Spurs played with nine men, but with a higher line. A brilliant save from Guglielmo Vicario kept them in the game, but they eventually crumbled. Spurs conceded three goals and lost 1-4, ending their unbeaten run. After tasting their first league defeat, they faced Wolverhampton.
Wolverhampton’s ace this season is Hwang Hee-chan. At the beginning of the season, Hwang’s place in Wolverhampton was ambiguous. His manager, Julen Lopetegui, left the club just before the start of the PL. Hwang started the season on the bench.
He started the season as a substitute in the opening game against Manchester United, then came on as a substitute in the second round against Brighton. Hwang scored his first goal of the season five minutes after coming off the bench in the second leg. He rattled the net with a header from a Pablo Sarabia corner.
After impressing head coach Gary O’Neill, Hwang began to make his way into the starting lineup. He started against Everton in the third round. However, he was substituted after the first half. The problem was an injury. Every time Hwang showed good form, injuries interrupted it, and this time it was a hamstring injury.
He recovered quickly and was back on the field as a substitute in the fourth round against Crystal Palace. Once again, Hwang was a joker. Five minutes after coming on, he scored a goal. With the goal in hand, Hwang stepped up his game in the September A match. He started again against Liverpool and scored the opening goal. He also scored against Ipswich in the third round of the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup).
Hwang put his name on the map when he scored against Manchester City. Before the game, Pep Guardiola said, “It’s always a tough game against Wolverhampton. “It’s always tough against Wolverhampton because they have quality players. Especially Pedro Neto, Mateusz Cunha and the Greco-Croatian Guy (Hwang Hee-chan), who are strikers of a very high level.” He said “Korean Guy” because he didn’t know Hwang’s name.
Hwang started the game against Man City. The game was dominated by City, but Wolverhampton took the lead first. Neto’s cross from the right flank found the foot of Jubeng Dias for an own goal. Julian Alvarez equalized for City from a free kick, but Hwang Hee-chan was the hero. 토토사이트
In the 21st minute of the second half, Nelson Semedo sent in a cross from the right that a defender cleared away with his head. Hwang Hee-chan came in from the back and shot but was blocked by the defense. Mateusz Cunha crossed the ball to Hwang, who rattled the post. Wolverhampton were able to hold on to Hwang’s goal and the game ended in a 1-2 loss for City.
Hwang scored the opening goal against Aston Villa, making it three consecutive goals in official matches. He was silent against Bournemouth in round nine, but scored again against Newcastle to continue his scoring streak. Hwang has now scored seven goals this season. Six of them in the league alone. He has already set a new PL career high. Hwang scored five league goals in 2021-22, his first season in the PL. After 10 games, Hwang has surpassed his previous PL high.
However, Wolverhampton’s attack lost some sharpness when Pedro Neto went down with an injury. Neto suffered a hamstring injury against Newcastle. Neto had been devastating on the right side of the pitch, leading Wolverhampton’s attack alongside Hwang Hee-Chan.
Hwang started on the right in place of Neto against Sheffield Wednesday. Although he didn’t score, he did create a crucial chance. In the 31st minute, Hwang deceived the defense inside the penalty box and fired a left-footed shot just wide. The ball then found the feet of Layan Aitnouli, but he was unable to convert it into a goal. Wolverhampton suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.
Two teams that tasted bitterness in their last game meet. Plus, it’s a meeting between Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, so there’s even more anticipation. Neither team can afford to back down. Both teams will be looking to turn the tide with a win. Both Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan failed to score in the previous round. This match is highly anticipated as it will be the first time we’ll get to see both players for a long time.