Sublime Son silences Lions
IN THE END, Son Heung-Min had the perfect answer to those who abused him from the stands. A hat-trick of sublime quality.
The roar that emanated from Tottenham’s fans yesterday at the final whistle of the last FA Cup tie to be played at White Hart Lane thankfully drowned out the abuse and insults aimed at the South Korean from the Millwall fans.
And it said everything about how much this win meant to Tottenham, who are now in their first semi-final in five years.
Outstanding all afternoon, Son ran League One Millwall’s defence ragged with a display of skilful running, boundless energy and deadly finishing. A display badly needed by his team after they had lost top scorer Harry Kane to a nasty looking ankle injury after only 10 minutes.
Son was swiftly moved up front in a potentially tricky tie against a team who had turfed out three Premier League teams in their run to the last eight. The scoreline at the end was harsh on Neil Harris’s side, but in truth they were simply outclassed in virtually every department.
Son emerged as the hero, with two goals of sublime quality on his way to his first hat-trick since February 2015, and a tally that now stands at 14 for the season so far. His third was hard on Lions’ young keeper Tom King, who allowed Son’s volley to squirm under his body and over the line in added time.
Kane will be assessed today but England coach Gareth Southgate will be anxious with games looming against Germany and Lithuania, and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was pessimistic afterwards. Kane damaged the same right ankle earlier this season and was out for seven weeks, during which time Spurs struggled. It could have thrown his team here – but Son stepped up to the plate.
Tottenham were clearly determined not to join Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester as the Lions’ victims in the competition this season, and in truth there was never really a glimpse of a chance for the visitors.
Millwall’s goal was peppered right from the off, with deputy keeper King making a string of saves to keep his side afloat. Christian Eriksen replaced the stricken Kane, and it was he who finally broke the deadlock. The only surprise was that it took as long as half an hour.
Millwall failed to clear a cross properly, Dele Alli chested the ball down, and Eriksen span to drill a shot low into the far corner.
Victor Wanyama thumped a header against the bar as Millwall struggled to cope with Spurs’ pace and movement. They were broken again four minutes before half-time and the tie was over.
Son picked up Alli’s pass on the right, cut in and curled a glorious drive into the far top corner. He had been getting abuse from the Millwall fans at that end of the ground from the start, but it intensified from that moment on.
King later superbly stopped Eriksen’s drive, but then came the best goal of the game. Kieran Trippier angled a pass in behind the Millwall defence
from the right. Son was onto it in a flash, and his first-time volley flashed past the helpless keeper. It was pure quality.
Millwall – 17 games unbeaten before yesterday – battled, but chances were few and far between, Steve Morison shooting wide in the first half, and Jake Wallace prodding a cross wide after the break. But you cannot attack if you cannot get hold of the ball.
Tottenham’s fourth was another well-worked goal. Harry Winks fed Trippier, who played in Eriksen, and his low cross was slammed in at the far post by Alli.
There was even time for Vincent Janssen, on as a 74th-minute substitute, to score his first goal in open play for the club since his £17million move from AZ Alkmaar last summer, in his 30th appearance.
As Spurs fans sang that they were on their way to Wembley, Millwall supporters ironically replied with: “Que sera, sera – we’re going to Shrewsbury.” In added time Son got his hat-trick, his volley from Eriksen’s cross dribbling through the unlucky King’s arms and rolling gently over the line. It was the final indignity for the South London team.