Ange Postecoglou hailed the high standards of “tired” Tottenham captain Son Heung-min after his late goal earned a 2-1 home win over Luton.
Spurs were able to get their Champions League qualification hopes back on track with a comeback victory against Luton after the visitors took a third-minute lead through Tahith Chong.
Tottenham captain Son hit both posts during the first half before Brennan Johnson, a half-time introduction, created the leveller when his dangerous cross was smashed into his own net by Hatters defender Issa Kabore.
Johnson turned provider again in the 86th minute from Timo Werner’s cross when he teed up Son, who slotted home via a deflection off Daiki Hashioka to earn the hosts a vital three points.
It was Son’s 15th goal of the season but more crucially moved him above 1961 double-winner Cliff Jones into outright fifth in Tottenham’s all-time scoring list on 160 goals, a matter of days after he travelled halfway across the world to feature in South Korea’s World Cup qualifiers with Thailand.
Postecoglou said: “I am sure he feels tired. Yeah, absolutely. It’s tough. When I was national team coach of Australia, we had quite a few players playing this side of the world.
“They’re long trips, there is time difference but like I said before he never looks for those clutches, Sonny.
“For him when he is available, he wants to play to the highest possible level and he keeps doing it.
“Playing for his national team is hugely important to him. Playing for this football club is hugely important to him and he wouldn’t compromise either by letting his standards drop.
“Irrespective of opposition or whatever game it is, he has this really high level of expectation on himself to be the best he can be all the time. It’s very hard to be like that.
“But he wants to maintain the highest possible standards whenever he plays and you see that with his football, his efforts, his leadership now so it’s all encompassing.
“Look, he’s been a brilliant footballer for this club for a long time and hopefully for many years to come.”
Spurs had suffered a 3-0 humbling at Fulham ahead of the international break but the prospect of a fast start in north London evaporated when Luton took the lead after three minutes.
Andros Townsend burst down the right and crossed in for Ross Barkley, who teed up Chong for his fifth goal of the season.
Tottenham went close to equalising when Son rounded Thomas Kaminski in the 20th minute, but his low effort hit both posts before Pape Sarr’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Teden Mengi.
Postecoglou sent on Wales international Johnson and he made the difference with 51 minutes played with a superb cross to force Kabore’s own-goal before Spurs hit Luton with a slick counter-attack.
Werner broke from the visitors’ corner and found Johnson, who set up Son to inflict more late woe on Luton.
Rob Edwards’ side dropped back into the bottom three after Nottingham Forest claimed a point at home to Crystal Palace.
“Yeah, I feel sick right now,” Edwards admitted.
“Let’s have it right, Tottenham are a brilliant team, fantastic manager and really good players but to lose so late from our own attacking set-piece is difficult to take.
“For us to be pushing and to concede the way we did is difficult.”
Man City star Foden scoops Premier League Player of the Year award
Phil Foden has been named the Premier League's Player of the Year, having been sensational for Manchester City this season.
Foden has scored 17 goals and provided a further eight assists in the top flight in 2023-24.
The 23-year-old has been pivotal in City's quest to win an unprecedented fourth Premier League title.
Pep Guaridola's team head into their final game of the season, in which they face West Ham at home, needing a win to guarantee the crown.
Only six players have bettered Foden's goal tally, with the attacker enjoying his most profitable scoring season for City.
Foden's 17 goals have come from an expected goals figure of 10, suggesting his finishing has been way above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances he has had.
The England international, meanwhile, has had 99 shots, and leads City's squad for chances created (68).
"To win this award is an achievement that I am extremely proud of," Foden told Man City's official website.
"Overall, I've been very happy with the way I have played this season and really pleased that I have been able to contribute with the goals and assists throughout the season.
"I'd like to thank all of the City staff, coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn’t be possible.
"And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me as the award means a lot."
It is the fifth season in a row that a City player has won the award, with Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20, 2021-22), Ruben Dias (2020-21) and Erling Haaland (2022-23) having scooped it previously.
Elneny to leave Arsenal following eight-year stint
Mohamed Elneny has confirmed he will be leaving Arsenal after the Gunners' final game of the season.
Elneny is Arsenal's longest-serving player, having joined the Gunners from Swiss side FC Basel in January 2016.
Signed by Arsene Wenger, the Egypt international has played under three managers, having also appeared for Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
On Friday, the midfielder confirmed via a video on X (formerly Twitter) that his stint in north London was coming to an end.
"Gooners, I'm here today to send you a message, to say goodbye and thank you for everything you've done for me," Elneny said in a video posted on X on Friday.
"The love, the support and the kindness. I'm really going to miss you so much and you'll be in my heart forever."
Elneny has played 161 times for the Gunners, who face Everton at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Arteta's team need to win if they are stand a chance of beating Manchester City to the Premier League trophy.
Fiorentina 2-2 Napoli: Kvaratskhelia keeps visitors' slim European hopes alive
Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.
Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.
Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.
Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.
They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.
Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Data Debrief
Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.
Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
