Son Heung-min's Spurs finish fifth, ending season with 'a bit of everything'

Son Heung-min’s Tottenham Hotspur beat last-place Sheffield United 3-0 on Sunday, finishing fifth in the 2023-24 Premier League and signing off on a tidal season defined by keeping grander ambitions at bay.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min greets fans following the match against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min ended the 2023-24 Premier League campaign with an assist on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur beat last-place Sheffield United 3-0 to secure fifth place on the table and a ticket to the Europa League next season.

While Spurs rode an unbeaten streak to the top of the table in November, things fell apart after a particularly memorable 4-1 loss against Chelsea set off the first losing streak of the season.

And Spurs’ season finale at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England solidified their qualification to the second-tier UEFA Europa League, given to the fifth-place Premier League team, but only after sputtering out of the race for a shiny Champions League spot this month.

They held off a last-minute challenge from Chelsea, who won their final game of the season over Bournemouth 2-1 and would have earned the Europa League spot had Spurs lost.

The odds were in Spurs’ favor on Sunday with Sheffield United already relegated to the Championship.

Spurs turned things around despite heavy challenges from Sheffield United at the start. Son, playing on the left wing, reacted to a pass from James Maddison and knocked the ball over to Dejan Kulusevski, who crossed it into the net off the back right post.

It was Son’s 10th assist of the season, matching his record in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Pedro Perro made things 2-0 after the break, and Kulusevski got another in the 65th minute. Son took a tumble in the 78th minute and Sheffield defender Andre Brooks was sent off "violent conduct," but the red card was overturned after a VAR review. Son was substituted off 10 minutes later and saw Spurs win their final match from the touchline.

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min reacts following an altercation with Sheffield United's Andre Brookes during the match at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England on Sunday. [AFP/YONHAP]

“It's been good, it's been eventful, it's had a bit of everything,” manager Ange Postcegolou said in a post-match press conference, responding to a question about his first season at Tottenham. “I am obviously not delighted with the way we finished the season but in fairness to the players and staff we have been in the top five all season.

“In a year where there was a fair bit of upheaval, we finished eighth last year, player turnover, different football, different way of training, it is not easy to maintain a level when you are trying to do that.”

The 2023-24 Spurs were clouded by the departure of star striker and England captain Harry Kane, who left for the Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich.

Son and Kane hold the record for the most combined goals in the Premier League, tag-teaming 47 times over eight seasons on Spurs’ front line.

But despite Kane’s absence, Son had another high-scoring season, scoring 17 goals over 35 appearances as the league’s 8th top scorer. He did the same — 17 goals and 10 assists — in the 2020-21 season, but over 37 games.

Son was named captain ahead of the 2023-24 season.

“You take the pain and you take the defeat," Son said after losing a fourth straight game against Liverpool in April. "And you have to move on because football comes really fast at you."

Son's contract at Spurs expires in 2026.

Europa League spot in hand, Spurs have some international business this week as they travel to play Newcastle United in a club friendly on Wednesday at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.

Elsewhere on the table, Manchester City defeated West Ham 3-1 to win the league with 91 points, two points above runners-up Arsenal, after a contentious win over Spurs in the penultimate match of the season handed them the advantage in the final sprint of a long title race.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]