Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min scored his 22nd goal of the season in an away match against Leeds United on May 8, setting a new record in his 11-year European career.
Son scored an equalizer in the 25th minute while Spurs were trailing 1-0. He calmly converted a pass from Dele Alli from the front of the penalty box, highlighting his sense of timing and positioning, as well as his clinical finishing ability.
Nonetheless, he couldn't save the team from losing the match 3-1 and falling to seventh place in the English Premier League table with 56 points from 16 wins, eight draws and 11 losses. The Tottenham players looked dejected at the loss, and quietly left the ground in drizzling rain.
Having posted a goal in each of his three most recent league matches, his goal tally has reached a new personal milestone of 22 in all competitions this season. His previous personal best was 21 goals, which he achieved in his sophomore year with Spurs in the 2016-17 season.
In league matches this season, he has scored 17 goals, matching Cha Bum-kun's decades-long record for the most league goals in a season by a Korean in Europe. Cha set the record with Leverkusen in Germany's Bundesliga in 1985-86.
Son has also posted 17 assists this season, 10 of them in league matches. With 39 combined points in goals and assists, he has surpassed his previous record of 30 points from 18 goals and 12 assists last season. He is the first Tottenham player to achieve 10 goals and 10 assists in the EPL for two consecutive seasons.
Despite his sensational performances, Son has yet to win a title. He has two runners-up medals, losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on April 26 this year, and to Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.
The lack of a win is especially disappointing for Son in light of the fact that Cha and Park Ji-sung, who played for Manchester United from 2005 to 2012, both lifted trophies in league and Europe-wide club competitions while playing in Europe.
