Son hits four in Saints win - match report and debrief

Heung-Min Son scored a sensational four goals as we came from behind to dispatch Southampton 5-2 at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Our South Korean forward was assisted in all four of his strikes by Harry Kane, who also got his name on the scoresheet with our fifth and final goal during a superb second-half display as we completely turned the game on its head.

Our first Premier League win of the season didn’t seem to be a likely outcome as half-time approached as we trailed to Danny Ings’ 32nd-minute opener and had been very much second best throughout the first 45 minutes. But we levelled the scores two minutes into stoppage time with a well-worked goal, Tanguy Ndombele and Kane - who had earlier had two strikes ruled out for off-side - combining for Son to equalise. And he wasted no time at the start of the second half, firing us in front on 47 minutes thanks to another Kane pass.

Southampton played with a high line in defence and we were able to take full advantage, Kane’s clever pass releasing Son again on 64 minutes and he made no mistake to beat Alex McCarthy to complete his hat-trick – his first in the Premier League. Son added his and our fourth goal nine minutes later, before Kane got the goal he deserved with eight minutes left, pouncing on the rebound after Erik Lamela’s shot hit the post.

The home side grabbed a late second goal from the spot through Ings after the referee awarded a penalty for handball against Matt Doherty following a VAR pitchside review, but the damage was done by that stage and the three points were safely in the bag.

Second half turnaround seals points

We had started well in the opening minutes and had the ball in the net after just three minutes, Kane finishing with a fine swivelled volley, but it was ruled out by VAR as Son was just off-side in the build up. Seven minutes later, it was almost an opening goal for the hosts but Hugo Lloris pulled off a magnificent save to deny Che Adams from 12 yards following a corner. And they too had a goal disallowed shortly after, Ings’ effort struck off after the ball hit his hand before he converted. Moussa Djnepo then weaved his way past Doherty down the goal-line and sent in a low cross which found Adams eight yards out, who took a touch and drilled in a shot but Ben Davies did brilliantly to get across and block, before Djnepo hit the post with a low 20-yard drive.

The goal that was threatening to come did arrive in the 32nd minute. Our former right-back Kyle Walker-Peters clipped a ball over Eric Dier and in to Ings, who controlled with one touch and then beat Lloris from a tight angle. Despite a bright opening few minutes, we were looking out of sorts and couldn’t really get into our stride as the half progressed. But, almost out of nothing, we were level. Ndombele produced a delicious piece of skill to evade two Saints players inside his own half and suddenly we were on the attack. He fed the ball wide left to Kane who played a first time pass in behind the defence to Son and the South Korean took a touch and cracked a right-foot shot past Alex McCarthy.

We made a half-time switch with Giovani Lo Celso replacing Ndombele and changed formation from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, but it was the Saints with the first chance at the start of the second half, Lloris saving from Adams within the first minute. However, we went up the other end and took the lead seconds later. Lo Celso’s neat pass forward found Kane and he slipped the ball between two defenders to Son, in on goal and he beat McCarthy with a fine finish.

It became a far more even contest at that stage with both sides having good attacking opportunities without quite finding the finishing touch, Adams going close again for the home side but dragging his shot wide from the edge of the box with one such chance. Instead, it was us who scored the next goal in the 64th minute with Son completing his hat-trick. Once again it was Kane with the assist, controlling a pass and knocking it over Southampton’s high line for Son to latch on to, steady himself and coolly slot home. Incredibly, the same two players combined again for a fourth nine minutes later. This time Kane had the ball out on the right and just instinctively knew where Son would be, his cross into the box pure perfection which allowed Son to control and score his and our fourth goal. And it quickly became five with Kane getting a thoroughly deserved goal. Lo Celso’s ball found substitute Lamela unmarked on the edge of the area, his shot was tipped onto the post by McCarthy but Kane was on hand to tap home the rebound.

In the closing minutes, Doherty was penalised for handball in the area after close inspection by the referee on the VAR monitor, with Ings drilling home the spot-kick to round off the scoring in what was the dictionary definition of a game of two halves.

With this result coming less than 24 hours after we confirmed the signings of Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid, it’s fair to say it’s been a good weekend for the Club!

Records set in Son's four-goal haul

While Son won the Man of the Match award with his first-ever four-goal haul for Spurs, he was quick to ensure much of the praise went to his team-mate Kane! He assisted all four of the South Korean international’s goals to set a new Premier League record – the first occasion one player had assisted the same player four times in one match. It was also the first time an English player has had four assists in one Premier League match, while Kane also doubled his tally of assists from last season in one game!

With the goals flowing, Kane was determined to get in on the act and did so with his close-range finish late on to net his 190th Spurs goal, leaving him just 18 behind Bobby Smith who sits in second place in our all-time goalscorers chart.

The two teams each fielded former players against each other, just a few weeks after they made their moves. Our new midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg featured on his old ground at St Mary’s for his second Premier League appearance in our colours, while our former Academy graduate Kyle Walker-Peters was in the Saints' line-up as he played against us for the first time.

Danny Ings’ opening goal for the home side meant we have now gone 10 Premier League matches without a clean sheet against Southampton.

Reaction on Spurs TV

Jose insists praise is shared

Head Coach Jose Mourinho was delighted with Son's goalscoring exploits on the south coast, but was keen to stress the importance of Kane in the creation of each strike.

"I know that everyone will say Sonny is Man of the Match because it’s an incredible achievement to score four goals in the Premier League, but I am a team coach, I am all about my team and what Harry did for us is an example of the guy who is not going to have the highlights on him, but is fundamental for the team," he said after the game.

Kane himself added: "We had a disappointing start to the game, a disallowed goal quite early, a close call, but we then conceded and couldn’t quite get into the game.

"Scoring just before half-time gave us a huge boost and we came out in the second half pressing a lot more, with a lot more intensity, and took our chances when we had them. It was a great game, great to score five goals and hopefully we can take this momentum forward."

Match data

Goals: Southampton – Ings 32, 90 (pen); Spurs – Son 45+2, 47, 64, 73, Kane 82.

Yellow cards: Southampton – Romeu, Adams, Bertrand, Stephens; Spurs – Ndombele, Doherty, Lo Celso.

Referee: David Coote.

Venue: St Mary's Stadium.

Weather: Sunny intervals, gentle breeze, 23 degrees.