Danny Murphy has hit out at one Tottenham Hotspur player for a poor mistake after their defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Spurs’ clash with Manchester City will go down as one of the most surreal games in recent Premier League history, with Tottenham fans aware that a victory for their side would have allowed Arsenal to put one hand on the league title.
There was almost a sense of relief amongst some of the fans when Erling Haaland scored twice for Pep Guardiola’s men, even if it ended Tottenham’s hopes of finishing in the top-four this season.
And perhaps no moment better summed up the bizarre nature of the game than when Heung-min Son ran through with a chance to equalise for the home side.
Danny Murphy criticises Heung-min Son after Tottenham defeat
Tottenham capitalised on a mistake from Manuel Akanji, and that left Son one on one with Stefan Ortega. For a brief moment, it appeared that Theo Walcott was going to get the goal from Son he craved ahead of the game.
However, Ortega did brilliantly to read Son, and managed to block his shot with his leg. It would not be too long after that City would double their lead.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Danny Murphy has suggested that he could not believe that Son did not find the back of the net.
“It was an easy chance,” he said.
“I found one on ones quite easy, because you’ve got a couple of options. The keeper left him down his left side and bluffed him and stayed in his position. I think Son thought he was then going to move left and give him the eyes. He didn’t even have to shoot, he could’ve taken it round him, and Son’s normally very good at them by the way, Son’s scored millions of them over his career. For a player of his quality, it’s a poor, poor miss.”
Spurs captain will have been devastated as prospect of Champions League football slipped through their grasp
It was one of those moments where Son would not have needed anyone to tell him that he should have done better. As Murphy suggests, the £22 million forward has scored so many of those chances down the years.
Tottenham gave a really good account of themselves considering all the noise leading up to the game about how harmful a victory could be.
Ortega deserves enormous credit for how much he came to City’s rescue on a number of occasions, but Son – who would have been desperate to qualify for the Champions League – will know that what a golden opportunity he squandered.