Former Celtic and Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas has heaped huge praise on the current form levels of Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-Min and stated that the 26-year-old is carrying us at the moment given we lack Harry Kane and Dele Alli through injury.
Speaking to Sky Sports to preview the upcoming Round of 16 Champions League ties this week with Spurs facing Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening, Nicholas knew Sonny was likely to be key to our game but he certainly didn’t see a high scoring affair and felt it would be 1-1 on the evening at Wembley Stadium.
“Spurs are grinding results at the minute but doing the business without Harry Kane and Dele Alli. Heung-Min Son has to be in the potential list of six for Premier League player of the year. He is carrying Spurs through and his energy levels have been outstanding.”
Whilst he wasn’t doubting our punch up front, despite the players we are missing, he went on to identify manager Mauricio Pochettino’s regular changes in the backline as a potential problem, given he expected Dortmund to sit and break on the counter-attack only in the game and he felt that would work against us on a pace front.
“This is a different Dortmund side though, and I still feel Spurs have a weakness at the back. Mauricio Pochettino has been chopping and changing too much in defence. Kane could be back for the return leg but the reality is this is another game of goals. Both teams will open up and attack well. Dortmund will not be as adventurous – they will sit in and counter-attack which will be dangerous for Spurs, and they will choke them and try to boss midfield.”
1-1 given the circumstances won’t be sniffed at even if we’d like to take a narrow advantage through to the trip to Germany, but it will be interesting to see what starting XI Poch does go with.