Sonny and Bentancur nominated for Premier League Game Changer award
Wed 31 May 2023, 11:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Heung-Min Son and Rodrigo Bentancur have been nominated for the Premier League's Castrol Game Changer Award - 2022/23.
A prize given to the individual with the single most game-changing performance over the course of the campaign, Sonny has been shortlisted for his performance in our 6-2 win over Leicester City in September while Rodrigo is among the contenders following his exploits in our dramatic 4-3 triumph over Leeds in November.
Beginning with Sonny's display against the Foxes, for the first time in 17 months, our number seven started a Premier League game on the bench when the East Midlands side came to north London on 17 September. Last entering the fray as a substitute during a 2-2 draw at Newcastle in April, 2021, the forward was determined to make an impact having not made the starting line up against Leicester... and boy did he!
With the balance of the game having continually swung in the opening hour of the game, Sonny was brought on to put us firmly in the driving seat. Entering the action with us just edging things at 3-2, the forward then rattled home a 13-minute hat-trick - his first at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and including a strike which won the London Football Awards' Goal of the Season - to see us take full control of the clash and all three points.
Watch - Spurs 6-2 Leicester City | September, 2022
Rodrigo, meanwhile, is nominated for the award after he ran the show against Leeds in November, albeit in quite a topsy-turvy clash.
With us having fallen behind twice in the first half before pulling ourselves back level each time, first through Harry Kane and then Ben Davies, we conceded once more with 14 minutes remaining and looked to be heading to defeat. However, in the final 10 minutes, the calmest man in the house, our Uruguayan midfielder, took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Popping up on the edge of the area on 81 minutes, Rodrigo controlled a loose ball well on his chest before volleying in to bring us level. Two minutes later, our number 30 then stuck again, coolly slotting home Dejan Kulusevski's cut back to secure us all three points. Having scored such a brace in the game, it's incredible to think that, in his 247 professional matches before arriving in north London, he had only scored four times.
Watch - Spurs 4-3 Leeds United | November, 2022
In contention for the award alongside Rodrigo and Sonny are: Everton's Jordan Pickford (Everton 0-0 Liverpool), Arsenal's Reiss Nelson (Arsenal 3-2 AFC Bournemouth) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (Manchester City 6-3 Manchester United) and Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City 4-2 Spurs).
As usual, you can show your support to our players by voting for them. The vote closes on Friday 2 June at 6pm (BST) with the winner set to be announced on Sunday 4 June at 11am (BST).
