Son Heung-Min fires Tottenham ahead in Champions League quarter-final with Sergio Aguero’s penalty miss coming back to haunt Man City
South Korean pounced late in the game to put Spurs in the driving seat ahead of return leg at the Etihad
NOTHING could stop Son Heung-Min.
Manchester City’s players, chasing him around their penalty area like they were on roller-skates, were nowhere near him.
Neither were Son’s Tottenham team-mates when he sprinted away after planting his electrifying 78th minute winner beyond Ederson.
Even the VAR review could not deny the South Korean superstar this spell-binding victory at their glitzy new stadium.
The place was jumping.
Pep, Champions League loser against Monaco and Liverpool in his first two seasons, has it all to prove from here.
City had already fluffed their big chance when Hugo Lloris pawed away Sergio Aguero’s 11th minute penalty.
They could well come to regret that.
This is a magnificent victory for Poch, denting City’s lofty ambitions to win five titles in a single season.
Spurs, even with their trophy allergy, are having a right good go at the Champions League.
FAST AND FURIOUS
Son is writing the Tottenham Opus, starting with the first goal at White Hart Lane 2.0 against Crystal Palace to the first Champions League strike.
This was a level up on Palace.
What a night for these super Spurs because they also had to overcome Harry Kane’s latest ankle injury.
Spurs went from twisted ligaments to twisting the blood of City defenders when Sonny scored his belting winner.
All eyes were on him 12 minutes from time, transfixed when Christian Eriksen’s effortless chip found the Spurs forward.
The goal was a triumph for perseverance and persistence, with his magnetic feet refusing to let go of the ball.
His first effort was blocked, but he was undeterred and unruffled when he managed to keep the ball in play on the goaline.
He managed to cut inside, working the angle before finally getting away a shot that beat Ederson in front of the boisterous White Wall.
They were already on their feet, flying through the air to celebrate yet another historic strike.
Spurs, even without Kane for the second leg, have a critical lead to protect.
INSTANT REPLAY
Their first choice striker was forced 58 minutes into this compelling, captivating quarter-final.
The pace of the game had been fast and ferocious, with players from both sides launching themselves at each other skin-on-skin, bone-on-bone.
Kane had clashed with Fernandinho in the first half, reacting with an elbow after the City midfielder shoved his face in the dirt.
The Spurs striker was in combative mood, setting the tone by putting himself about.
When he bumped into Fabian Delph with just over half an hour left to play, his night was over.
His Champions League ambitions went with it because he surely will not pull on a Spurs shirt again this season.
Instead they will have to win it without him.
Poch sensibly sent for Lucas Moura instead of Fernando Llorente, overlooking his predatory instincts in favour of the Brazilian’s suoerior work-rate.
It had to be that way because the pace out there was ferocious and fierce.
THRILL SEEKERS
This was a Premier League game played at x2 speed.
They were flinging everything at it, trying to get the upper hand and boss a big night of European football.
This was a game for grown men only.
Everybody was grizzly, from Kane to Fernandinho to the two hyper-active coaches on the touchline.
There is more of this on the way because they will tear into each other again at the Etihad in the second leg.
This was played like a basketball game, a relentless see-saw of attack and counter-attack.
Dele had the first chance, catching Moussa Sissoko’s cross clean, but it was always on the rise.
They were still feeling each other out, stepping on each other’s toes, when a VAR call came via the backdoor.
Danny Rose had gone to ground early, leaving himself vulnerable to the whims of any fuddy-duddy official.
Mark Halsey: Rose penalty call isn't what VAR is for
DANNY ROSE was at the centre of another VAR farce — because the Champions League is now being refereed differently.
Law 12 currently states handball has to be a “deliberate” act but Uefa’s referee chief Robert Rossetti has told his officials to penalise any “unnatural position” if the ball strikes the arm in the area.
Although Bjorn Kuipers’ decision against Rose was contrary to the law for a deliberate handball, you could argue it was correct according to Rossetti’s directives.
I do not believe Rose’s arm was in an “unnatural position”, he threw his body in the way of the ball.
And it was not a clear and obvious error, so why has the VAR got involved anyway?
We don’t want to see game-changing decisions in this manner, that is not what VAR is there for.
It is at least pleasing to see referees making the final decision by viewing the monitor, something we do not see in England and will not next season.
Bjorn Kuipers is certainly that, pausing momentarily before taking a second look at Raheem Sterling’s deflected effort.
It was a big moment for Lloris because his form has been patchy and below-par for months.
Here he channelled his World Cup-winning form, springing to his left to paw away Aguero’s spot kick.
The place crackled, with the Tottenham fans stationed on the White Wall getting to grips with it all.
It was belting stuff.
Back they came for more after the break, hurtling into the second half in search of the opening goal.
Aguero sent in a cross for Sterling to take down at the far post just moments after the restart.
Lloris spilled Sterling’s shot, but City did not have anyone around to gobble up the rebound.
Sonny was next in the queue, manufacturing a long-range chance from his left boot.
His effort went wide, but it turned out that he was only working out his angles for something more decisive.
City’s players had been hustling all night, taking time and space away from the worker-bees in this Spurs side.
It was all going so nicely until Son was seen speeding past the City defence before creating the wriggle room to beat Ederson.
Now that is Son way to win a Champions League tie.