English Premier League (EPL) manager Mauricio Pochettino is wary of his former pupil, saying, “I hope Son Heung-min doesn’t have a great night against us.”
Tottenham and Chelsea face off in the 11th round of the 2023-24 EPL at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on July 7 at 5 a.m. ET.
Pochettino, who now manages Chelsea, had a priestly relationship with Son Heung-min when he managed Tottenham from 2014 to 2019. Together, they led Spurs to glory, including a UEFA Champions League (UCL) runner-up finish.
Now, Pochettino finds himself in the position of trying to contain Tottenham’s captain and key attacker.
In his pre-match press conference, Pochettino was asked how he was going to stop Son, and he replied, “I’m not a center back. Our center backs have to do a good job of stopping him,” he joked before adding, “He’s the best player in the EPL. I hope he doesn’t have a great night this time,” he said, adding both praise and caution.
He also talked about how he feels about facing his hometown club, Tottenham, saying, “I’m happy that Tottenham are doing well this season. I haven’t forgotten the time I spent at Tottenham.”
Heung-min’s current coach, Enze Postecoglou, also mentioned him.
Under Postecoglou’s tutelage, Son has transformed into a frontline striker this season, scoring eight goals in 10 games, and his goal-scoring touch is at its peak.
“When I was in charge of the Australian national team in 2015, he scored against us in the AFC Asian Cup final,” Postecoglou said, “I didn’t need any more proof because I already knew he was a good goal scorer.” Postecoglou expressed his confidence in Son. 19가이드03