Spurs backed by ‘in Qatar’ captain Son Heung-min
In the absence of ‘captain’ Son Heung-min (32), Tottenham picked up a valuable point away to Manchester United (Man Utd). ‘Freshman’ Timo Werner picked up an ‘assist’ on his debut.
Tottenham played Manchester United to a 2-2 away draw in the 21st round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Friday (Aug. 15).
With 12 wins, four draws, and five losses for 40 points, Spurs moved level on points with Arsenal but remained fifth on goal difference. Man United is seventh with 32 points.
Son did not play on Sunday as he was called up to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, which kicked off on Dec. 12 and is expected to be out until early next month.
In his place, Werner, who made his Tottenham debut on Oct. 10, took the field wearing the No. 16 shirt.
Tottenham started with the following players in the starting lineup: Alexis Sanchez, Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson, Oliver Skipp, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Destiny Udogie, Micky van der Vaan, Christian Romero, Pedro Foro and Guglielmo Vicario. Central defenders van der Vaart and Romero returned from injury.
United started with Rasmus Hojelin, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Christian Eriksen, Kobi Mainu, Diogo Dalot, Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wambisaka and Andre Onana.
The day didn’t start well for Tottenham. 토토사이트 They conceded in the first three minutes to Rasmus Hojelun, who found the back of the net early with a powerful shot.
Tottenham didn’t stand still. ‘New Face’ Werner tried to equalize with a header, but it bounced off a United defender.
Tottenham then scored the equalizer. It was the goal that opened the scoring. He got his head on a cross from Pedro Foro in the 19th minute to make it 1-1.
Tottenham’s Werner was threatening. In the 23rd minute, he fired a long-range shot from the edge of the box, but it was off target.
In the 38th minute, Tottenham had a crisis. A misplaced header from Tottenham defender Udogie hit the post. Tottenham thumped their chests.
United scored again, this time to take the lead. In the 40th minute, Marcus Rashford, assisted by Hoyle, found the back of the Tottenham net with a pinpoint shot.
The first half ended with United leading 2-1.
Tottenham equalized at the start of the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Rodrigo Bentancur burst into the box off a pass from Werner and finished with his left foot.
A flurry of attacks ensued, but no shots on target.
United pushed hard until late stoppage time. In the fourth minute, Scott McTominay went close with a header, but the ball sailed over the bar.
Tottenham earned a point against United.
Werner, who made his Tottenham debut on the day, was credited with an assist. It was important for him to get an attacking point at a time when he needed to settle in and gain confidence.
“We are delighted to announce the signing of Werner on loan from RB Leipzig (Germany),” Tottenham announced on their website on Tuesday. The deal runs until the end of the season and includes an option to buy. He will wear the number 16 shirt.
Werner’s role as a striker is clear. After scoring 12 goals in 20 English Premier League (EPL) games this season, he will replace Son Heung-min, who is currently away on international duty with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on Wednesday.
Werner already has Premier League experience. However, it was not a successful one.
He caught the eye of Chelsea after a stellar spell with Leipzig between 2016 and 2020. The transfer was successful. Chelsea paid £45 million for him in the summer of 2020.
However, as time went on, Werner didn’t live up to expectations. He was quickly thrust into the first team, but his poor decision-making and numerous offside penalties were lamented. Although he did win the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, he didn’t have much of an impact.
His second year at Chelsea was no better. Werner spent the 2021-2022 season on the bench with just four league goals and one assist. Eventually, he returned to Leipzig in the summer of 2022 with a disappointing 23 goals in 89 official games. His transfer fee was reduced to €30 million within two years.
Werner hasn’t shown his old form for his hometown club. Last season, he scored nine goals and provided three assists in 27 league games, but his form has taken a dip this season. He’s scored just two goals in 14 league games and made just four starts. He’s completely out of contention with his fellow strikers.
Meanwhile, Werner has also fallen out of favor with the German national team. He’s played 57 times for the national team, but hasn’t made an appearance since last March against Belgium. He is in desperate need of playing time if he is to make it to UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil in June.
Tottenham, looking for a striker with experience at the right price, approached Werner and the two clubs realized their needs were aligned and the loan move was finalized. Werner is back on London soil for the first time in nearly two years, and he’s ready for another shot at the Premier League.
Postecoglou said he brought Werner in with the sole intention of him being a backup to Son Heung-min.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, he said, “Son Heung-min has been away from the team for quite a while. So we needed someone who could play in the back three. It was also time for Werner to change his situation and Tottenham was one of the options. I think Werner’s style will suit our football. Werner is a player who can play in any position in the back three.”
As for Werner’s past struggles at Chelsea, “It doesn’t matter what happened in the past,” Mourinho said, “Werner is still young and motivated to play for the national team. He wants to play at the highest level. We will give him a chance.”
Given the chance, Werner responded with an immediate ‘one-assist’ on his debut.
It’s also encouraging to see that the Frenchman has found his feet.
When Son Heung-min left Tottenham for the Asian Cup on March 3, he had a message for his teammates. He said that they should score as many goals as possible.
“I hope the players (including Heung-min, who has scored five goals in his last five games after returning from groin surgery) can score goals,” Son told local media after celebrating the New Year with a goal against Bournemouth in the EPL. “First of all, they are my family and teammates. That’s why I want them to score a lot of goals.”
“When Kane (who is now with Munich but was with Tottenham until last season) missed a few games due to injury, I felt I had to step up. I hope our players feel the same way. If they do, they will grow as people and as players.”
He then mentioned the Frenchman. “He’s been doing a fantastic job lately. I want him to be more goal-hungry. The same goes for the other players. I want everyone who plays in an attacking position to score as many goals as possible and put Tottenham in a better position. I can’t ask for much more than that.”
Alongside Werner, it was also a confidence booster for Lacazette to score an attacking point.
