April 10, (THEWILL) – Son Heung-min’s hattrick guided Tottenham Hotspur to a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday night after a dominant second half display, giving them the upper hand in the last laps of the top four battle.
Within three minutes of the start, Son gave Spurs the perfect opener, as the ball fell beautifully for the South Korean to fire a half-volley in off the post.
At the other end, Matty Cash’s first attempt on target was straight at Hugo Lloris, but the Frenchman had to be alert again shortly after to wonderfully tip Jacob Ramsey’s ferocious drive over the bar.
The very busy Lloris was called upon once more to deflect a twisting John McGinn strike from close range as his heroics were exactly the type of goalkeeping that Spurs’ manager Antonio Conte could have asked for.
Steven Gerrard’s team came out swinging, with the likes of Cash and Jacob Ramsey launching some ferocious slide challenges inside the first 25 minutes in an attempt to intimidate their opponents.
Spurs struggled to get control as Villa pressed for an equaliser, with Ollie Watkins sending a header beyond after Philippe Coutinho did well to clear a cross. Lloris also denied England striker Danny Ings to preserve their lead.
Tyrone Mings flicked a ball to the back post and Ings reacted fastest and was close, but his finish was a mess, denying Villa the equaliser they deserved.
Spurs were hemmed in as the hosts rushed around their midfield, however substitute Sergio Reguilon drew a save from Emiliano Martinez, aided by a clattered Mings block.
Despite Villa’s dominance, Spurs doubled their advantage early in the second half as Dejan Kulusevski’s left-footed finish into the far corner gave his team breathing space after Harry Kane’s deflected header fell into his path.
That goal seemed to take the wind out of Villa’s sails, and they were unable to mount the same attacking threat they had in the first half, until Kane’s flicked header on the halfway line sent Son in once more. Spurs were able to seal the victory thanks to the forward’s calmness in front of goal.
Soon after, Kulusevski spotted Son out and again, he curled a shot into the far corner to complete his hattrick. That was also his 17th Premier League goal of the season, tying his career high for most goals in a single season in England.
After Manchester United and Arsenal both lost on Saturday, Spurs now have the upper hand in the race for the top four. They are now three points ahead of Arsenal with a better goal difference after playing one more game, while Villa remain in 12th place as they try to finish in the top ten.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
