SON THE TOP GUN
Korean makes it 19 league goals to boost top four bid and hopes of keeping Conte
SON HEUNG-MIN seems to be conducting a one-man campaign to persuade Antonio Conte to stay at Tottenham.
The Italian head coach refuses to commit his future to Spurs beyond the end of this season, even though he has a contract for next year.
Conte has said the club must first concentrate on their target of getting into the top four and qualifying for the Champion League. Then he will meet with the board to find a “solution”.
Son’s two goals yesterday, the second a brilliant strike, took his league tally for the season to 19 – his best for the club – and if that does not help nudge Conte towards a future here, it is hard to see what else the Korean can do.
It was a comfortable win after Harry Kane had given Spurs the lead, despite a nervy start, but it was the result they needed after their wobble.
Leicester, who made eight changes from the Europa Conference League draw against Roma on Thursday, should have been ahead early on.
Manager Brendan Rodgers was clearly prioritising this Thursday’s second leg of the semi-final but his side still showed plenty of invention.
First, Ayoze Perez got away but hit his shot into the side-netting, then Leicester claimed a penalty when the ball appeared to hit Son’s hand.
They went even closer when Boubakary Soumare got away and crossed but Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris did superbly to get a touch on Patson Daka’s shot to tip it on to the post.
Cristian Romero dived in with a goalsaving tackle after Ben Davies blundered. Then, out of the blue, Spurs were ahead and again it was down to Leicester’s vulnerability from set pieces,.
Son swung in a corner and Kane evaded his marker at the near post to stoop and head
in his first Spurs goal since March 16 – and his team’s first shot on target in 221 minutes.
Kane almost had another when he pounced on a poor Caglar Soyuncu back pass, but Kaspar Schmeichel dashed out to foil him. The Spurs talisman then saw his chip drop just over.
Tottenham added a controversial second on the hour. Romero seemed to win the ball off Soyuncu with a studs-showing tackle, but referee Jonathan Moss played on.
Substitute Dejan Kulusevski played in Son, who turned to slot home.
Rodgers brought on Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemens to give them game time before Thursday.
But Son finished Leicester off with a beauty of a goal. Picking the ball up again from Kulusevski, the Korean swerved inside and curled the ball beautifully into Schmeichel’s top corner.
Leicester notched a consolation goal in the last minute when Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot beat Lloris and skidded home off the post.
TOTTENHAM (3-4-3): Lloris 6; Romero 7, Dier 7, Davies 6; Emerson 7, Bentancur 7 (Winks 81), Hojbjerg 7, Sessegnon 6; Moura 6 (Kulusevski 55, 6), Kane 7, Son 8 (Bergwijn 81). Goals: Kane 22, Son 60, 79. LEICESTER: (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel 6; Castagne 6, Amartey 6, Soyuncu 6, Thomas 6; Soumare 7 (Brunt 67, 6), Mendy 6; Albrighton 7, Iheanacho 7, Perez 6 (Tielemans 75); Daka 6 (Vardy 67, 6). Goal: Iheanacho 90.