Son Heung-min wants Tottenham to see shock Fulham defeat as ‘big wake-up call’
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min described their 3-0 defeat at Fulham as “unacceptable” and urged his team-mates to use it as a wake-up call.
Spurs entered this fixture on a high after an emphatic victory at Aston Villa last weekend.
It meant fifth-placed Tottenham could leapfrog Villa and reclaim fourth spot with all three points at Craven Cottage, but they were blown away as Rodrigo Muniz continued his excellent form with a goal either side of half-time.
Sasa Lukic also found the net after 49 minutes with his first goal for Fulham, who have now won four of their last six matches.
“Yeah, it is very disappointing and very frustrating,” Son told Sky Sports.
“Everybody has to look in the mirror and say, ‘it was my fault’ because it was not good enough. It was not near the level where we put the effort all season.
“This time it was very, very disappointing. The attitude, the performance, it was not good enough. I think everyone needs this as a big wake-up call.
“It is unacceptable. You always have lessons and including me it was unacceptable that performance and the result.
“We make two steps backwards and now need to make a strong step forwards because after the international break we have massive game and it will be very crucial.”
Tottenham started poorly and could have conceded twice inside the opening 11 minutes, but Cristian Romero made crucial blocks to deny Muniz and Andrea Pereira.
The visitors eventually regrouped and went close through captain Son and James Maddison, who both failed to hit the target from inside the area and Fulham punished Spurs in the 42nd minute.
Antonee Robinson produced an excellent cross from the left, which Muniz controlled before he side-footed into the bottom corner.
It was 2-0 immediately after half-time when Lukic deflected in Alex Iwobi’s cross with his knee and Muniz wrapped up the scoring after 61 minutes.
Calvin Bassey’s effort was parried onto the post by Guglielmo Vicario and Muniz bundled in for his seventh goal from his last seven matches to consign Tottenham to a painful defeat.
Boss Ange Postecoglou expressed his disappointment and doubled down on his previously stated notion that Champions League qualification is not crucial for the development of his team.
“The second half after we conceded the second one, we just didn’t reach the levels of intensity and tempo we’ve had all year,” Postecoglou reflected.
“Then it was very hard for us to get any kind of control or traction in the game. It seemed like we were chasing the whole time, so it was a disappointing night for us.”
On missing out on the chance to return to fourth, Postecoglou replied: “I don’t see fourth as the prize.
“This club has finished fourth before. It’s finished second before.
“Fourth is not my end goal. I don’t want to finish fourth if we haven’t grown as a team and developed as a team.
“Success is built on, I think, more tangible stuff. If we finish fifth and if I think we’ve got a team to challenge next year (after the summer transfer window), then I won’t be disappointed.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva toasted another fine result, with this win making it four from their last six matches, which includes victories over Brighton and Manchester United.
“If not the best (performance), one of the best,” Silva insisted.
“The first half was the best of the season because the players did it brilliant. It was almost perfect.
“A crucial moment to score and it was really important to score two quick goals to kill the game.
“A well deserved three points.”
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The teams with the most 90th-minute winners in Premier League history - ranked
2023/24 season could break records for number of 90th-minute winners
Liverpool are well out in front for stoppage time victories
Sergio Aguero scored the most memorable last-gasp winner in Premier League history
By James Cormack
Mar 15, 2024
Which Premier League team has struck the most at the death?
Which Premier League team has struck the most at the death? / PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
This utterly ridiculous sport is so often decided by a few crazy minutes which constitute the game's final act.
We endure the comparatively monotonous 90 minutes that make up normal time to enjoy the euphoria which could arrive during the epilogue of second-half stoppage time. It's the period where ideological methodologies are thrown out of the window and nothing short of chaos ensues. For just a few minutes, football becomes primitive again.
There's simply nothing more special than a last-gasp winner; the evolution of a disappointing draw into three big points or, on the rarer occasion, a snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Premier League may not be unique in terms of playing host to such last-minute drama, but these shores have produced some of the most memorable 90th-minute winners in the sport's history.
Here are the ten teams with the most 90th-minute winning goals in Premier League history.
10. West Ham - 17
David Moyes
David Moyes has overseen the joint-most 90th-minute winners in Premier League history / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
Tomas Soucek recently added to West Ham's tally as he struck late at Goodison Park before Edson Alvarez put some gloss on the scoreline. The Czech midfielder is one of just three players to score multiple 90th-minute winners this season.
While a fair bunch arrived away from east London, manager David Moyes has overseen 21 stoppage-time victories in the Premier League - the joint-most ever alongside Arsene Wenger.
9. Aston Villa - 17
Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz, John McGinn
Villa are averaging fewer than one 90th-minute winner per season in the Premier League / Michael Regan/GettyImages
Leon Bailey's strike against Crystal Palace was the fourth-latest in Premier League history and one of 17 90th-minute winners scored by Aston Villa.
The Villans endured a brief tenure in the second tier but have spent much of their recent history in the top flight. Last-gasp drama has come few and far between for Villa, who currently average less than one 90th-minute winner per season.
They've also conceded seven more at the death than they've scored. Eek.
8. Manchester City - 19
Manchester City's Argentinian striker Se
Sergio Aguero scored the most memorable last-minute winner in Premier League history / PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
It's not a major surprise that City rank only eighth. They were absent from the top flight for a few years at the turn of the millennium, while their brilliance under Pep Guardiola means they've very rarely required magic at the death to sink their inferior opponents.
Nevertheless, City can safely say they were the scorers of the most notorious last-minute winner - perhaps of all time. Sergio Aguero's strike against QPR handed the Cityzens their first Premier League title on the final day of the 2011/12 season.
7. Newcastle - 21
Isaac Hayden
Isaac Hayden struck at the death to help an ailing Newcastle past Chelsea in 2020 / Alex Livesey/GettyImages
Kevin Keegan's Geordie entertainers were subject to Stan Collymore's famous 92nd-minute goal which dented Newcastle's title aspirations during the backend of the 1995/96 season.
Still, the Magpies have a positive goal difference in terms of 90th-minute winners.
Only Anfield and Goodison Park have staged more late drama than St James' Park.
6. Everton - 24
Alex Iwobi
Everton have scored 24 90th-minute winners in the Premier League / Stu Forster/GettyImages
Everton have been ever-presents since the competition's 1992 inauguration, although the Toffees have been equally proficient at surrendering 90th-minute goals as they have scoring them.
They've scored 24 and allowed 21.
Goodison Park is also home to the second-most stoppage-time winners in Premier League history with 24.
5. Chelsea - 27
Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea have been proficient at the death / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages
The six-time Premier League winners have provided the Stamford Bridge faithful with their fair share of dopamine spikes over the years.
Chelsea's 27 winners at the death ranks fifth in the all-time Premier League standings.
Conor Gallagher has emerged as the club's clutch hero in 2023/24.
4. Manchester United - 30
Alex Fergurson Manager of Manchester United
Fergie Time? / Clive Brunskill/GettyImages
The myth of Fergie Time, eh?
The well-established idea of time being added on merely so Sir Alex Ferguson's United could score a late winner has proven somewhat illusory.
While Man Utd have recorded the fourth-most stoppage-time winners in Premier League history, 14 of those have arrived in the 11 years following Fergie's retirement.
The Scotsman ranks fourth all-time among Premier League managers in terms of 90th-minute winners overseen, too.
3. Tottenham - 32
Steven Bergwijn
Steven Bergwijn scored twice in stoppage time to down Leicester in 2022 / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
No team has lost at the death more regularly than the ludicrous Lilywhites, who have also produced some late brilliance of their own.
In recent times, Spurs have produced some hoodoo magic at the death to turn contests on their head. There was the Steven Bergwijn stoppage-time brace to sink Leicester, Harry Kane's winner at the Etihad and Dejan Kulusevski's 100th-minute finish against Sheffield United - the sixth-latest goal in Premier League history - to name a few.
2. Arsenal - 32
Declan Rice
Declan Rice has been clutch for Arsenal this season / Julian Finney/GettyImages
There's nothing to separate the two north London rivals, although Arsenal don't compare to Tottenham when it comes to 90th-minute concessions.
The Gunners, four-time Premier League winners, may have endured their banter era towards the end of the 2010s but Mikel Arteta has re-established the title hopefuls as mentality monsters once again.
1. Liverpool - 44
Darwin Nunez
Darwin Nunez scored the tenth-latest goal in Premier League history at Nottingham Forest / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
For a club that thrives on emotion as much as Liverpool, it's no surprise that they're way out in front with 44 90th-minute winners.
Anfield has proven to be the home for last-gasp mayhem, with departing boss Jurgen Klopp overseeing 18 last-minute winning goals and counting during his nine-year tenure.
The Reds have scored three this term as they hope to bid the perfect farewell to their German manager.
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