‘A big wake-up call’: Son tells Tottenham to learn from wild defeat at Brighton

Tottenham’s 4-2 defeat against Brighton on Thursday night left Son Heung-min deeply disappointed, and he characterized the loss as a “big wake-up call.” Speaking about the team’s performance, Son highlighted the lack of intensity and sharpness, emphasizing that it fell well below the standard expected in the Premier League. The impact of injuries on the squad was evident as Spurs struggled to keep pace with a rampant Brighton side, with João Pedro scoring two penalties in their 4-0 lead. Despite a late surge from Tottenham, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes and nearly securing a third during nine additional minutes, Son admitted that the response came too late.

The South Korean captain stressed the importance of playing at a high level from the start in every game, considering the competitiveness of the Premier League. He viewed the disappointing performance as a significant lesson for the team and called for a collective wake-up call.

Manager Ange Postecoglou expressed his dissatisfaction with the VAR decisions, particularly questioning the booking of Lewis Dunk for a challenge on Dejan Kulusevski in the build-up to Tottenham’s first goal. Postecoglou criticized the inconsistency in VAR interventions and highlighted the potential impact on player safety.

On the Brighton side, manager Roberto De Zerbi, facing his own challenges due to injuries, described the victory as the best way to conclude the year. He singled out João Pedro as the standout player on the pitch and expressed his hope to continue working with him in the coming year, acknowledging the tough road ahead.