Tottenham star Son Heung-min struggling for form amid Harry Kane shift

Romantic, I know, but I watched Son Heung-min’s 13-minute hat-trick as a substitute against Leicester during my honeymoon in Orlando, Florida, in September.

Murphy’s Pub on International Drive was packed with Tottenham fans on a Saturday lunchtime, many of them wearing ‘Son’ T-shirts and drinking $7 beers, along with the odd $2 Guinness jello shot.

Like I said: romantic. But he showed how Spurs fans love Son. Not just in North London, but everywhere, even in an American-Irish sports bar nestled between Gator Crazy Golf and the $1.99 gift shop.

The appreciation is not exclusive to Tottenham either. Son will go down as one of the best two-footed players in the Premier League in the eyes of most football fans. Of his 23 goals last season, 12 were scored with his left foot and 11 with his right.

And yet last year’s Golden Boot winner has endured a campaign neither he nor his club saw coming. He has struggled to score goals, netting just four this term, three of them against Leicester in that 6-2 win.

Son Heung-min’s form has fallen off a cliff this season following the most prolific campaign of his career in 2021-22

That was the last time Antonio Conte left Son on the substitute bench while he was fit. It was a tactic that worked as he responded with those two twining efforts, one with each foot, and a counter-attacking finish at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In the five months that followed, he scored only once in the Premier League: the chef’s kiss in a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace.

As Tottenham prepare to face Leicester in the reverse leg at the King Power Stadium, it’s a reminder of how Son hasn’t played the way Conte expected him to.

Part of the problem is that Tottenham have spent too much time this season losing, conceding the first goal in 12 of their 22 games, too many of them early in games.

None of the Premier League’s big six, not even Liverpool, have spent as many minutes behind their opponents.

When that happens, Spurs are the ones trying to get back in the game, and suddenly Son doesn’t have as much room to stretch his legs in the final third.

Not like when Leicester helped him score that hat-trick. In his desperation to save something, they left open spaces for him to exploit.

The South Korean’s problems have persisted throughout the season and it’s not just his goal that has suffered

But another problem has been Son’s personal output. This season he has completed 16 of 44 dribbles attempted, giving him a 36 per cent success rate.

That’s a rapid reduction on his previous numbers, having been above 50 per cent in each of the last five seasons for Tottenham.

Confidence is down, while Harry Kane is not down. Not as much as him, anyway. Kane’s ability to drop deep and play perfect passes into Son’s path was praised last season.

The best example came this time last year when Kane, from his own half, assisted Son in a 4-0 win at Leeds.

The hat-trick against Leicester after a tough start to the season has been revealed as a false dawn

Whereas this season, Kane stays further up the field in a more fixed position. Statistics show that most of the Tottenham striker’s touches per game now come from inside the box, rather than outside.

It’s a tactical adjustment that has impacted Son, who is losing those balls over Kane’s shoulder.

Son clashed after that Leicester hat-trick in September, saying he was unhappy despite taking home the match ball.

‘How can I be happy if I have an incredible opportunity to score or create chances?’ she said afterwards. “If I’m happy and I’m not scoring, I wouldn’t be here.”

His struggles this term have come down to more than his own game with Harry Kane’s newfound propensity to stay higher up the field having an adverse effect on his game.

However, Tottenham’s managers insist they are happy. Conte and company say it’s more about Son’s teamwork: the way he doesn’t shy away from his defensive duties, how he creates space for others, etc.

They were particularly pleased with his performance in last week’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, following his double in the FA Cup fourth round win over Championship Preston.

But still, there’s no hiding how the man who helped himself to 23 Premier League goals last season has suffered a staggering collapse in form. As Son himself says, he won’t be happy until he scores again.