The Sun

DARREN ANDERTON can think of nobody who is more fitting to steal his assist record for Spurs than selfless skipper Son Heung-min.

Former England midfielder Anderton tops Tottenham’s charts in the Premier League with a whopping 68.

But South Korean icon Son is creeping up behind on 64 and will surely surpass him at some point this term.

Son will target getting even closer to Anderton’s record at home to West Ham.

And Anderton, 52, told SunSport in association with freebets.com: “If anyone is going to break that record, I’m very happy it’s going to be Son because he’s a team player.

“I always considered myself to be that, and always put the team first.

“I’d get as much joy at creating opportunities and setting up goals as I did from scoring myself.”

Assists — providing the final ball to the player who scores the goal — were not as revered in Anderton’s 1990s heyday.

But the growing influence of stats-obsessed American sports and the rise of fantasy football have seen the goal-maker take almost as much credit as the goal-taker.

Put it this way: Anderton would be hailed far more for his playmaking ability if he were playing today rather than 30 years ago.

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Many of Anderton’s assists saw him tee up old mucker Teddy Sheringham.

In fact, their epic 27-goal combinations make the pair the fifth-most prolific duo in Premier League history.

Son is top of that particular list owing to his fruitful partnership with Harry Kane.

They hit a staggering 47-goal combinations before Kane was sold to Bayern Munich two summers ago.

California-based Anderton added: “We live in America now and all the sports over here are about the assists and the stats and everything.

“So I’ve always been aware of it. My American friends always used to say that it’s scandalous no one ever speaks about assists!

“Now they do, so that’s good, and I think they should. It’s a huge part of the game and it’s what happens in the final third that wins games.

“Your team can have all the possession in the world but it’s that final ball which is so, so important.

“I’m very proud of the record. It’s something that I was always aware of.

“When I first got in at Spurs I struggled, but then things really took off for me and my relationship with Teddy in terms of assists and scoring goals.

“When Harry and Sonny had their assist-goal relationship, I saw myself and Teddy’s names up in the top five Premier League goal-assist partnerships.

“Someone sent me something the other day about my record on social media when Son had two assists and I was like, ‘Oh, OK’.

“We were having dinner and I showed my daughter and wife and we were having a bit of a giggle about it.”

Son has missed Spurs’ last three games due to a hamstring issue picked up in the 3-0 home win over Qarabag in the Europa League group stages last month.

However, the South Korean expects to return to action today in the early kick-off.

The attacker, 32, is one of Spurs’ greatest modern-day players and is 21st in the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers on 122.

But he has only scored in one match this season — the 4-0 win over Everton on August 24 — and has not netted in his last five club appearances.

Anderton added: “He hasn’t played as well as he would like and against Manchester United, he wasn’t missed — that performance was incredible.

“But that’s all part of getting to that sort of age and things start to change. I left Spurs at 32, I thought I had a few more years in me, but that’s all part of the game that we all play.

“But everyone in football knows how good he is.

“He’s the perfect football player. He works his socks off, he creates opportunities, he scores goals.

“He has always produced and has been an unbelievable player for the club.”

But if Spurs are to beat their London neighbours today, Anderton believes the performance of £40million midfielder James Maddison will be key.

The playmaker has struggled for large parts of this year as he battles back to peak fitness after damaging ankle ligaments in November 2023.

But he has been in red-hot form in recent weeks, yet was overlooked again by England this month.

Anderton felt the 27-year-old deserved a recall and believes the North Londoners are at their best when Maddison is on top of his game.

Euro 96 star Anderton, who won 30 caps for his country, added: “When he plays well, we play well.

“He has that X Factor that when teams sit deep because we do dominate, you need that bit of magic to create things.

“Christian Eriksen used to do it and James Maddison is in that mould.

“After he had that injury last season, our form was never the same. He’s that important to the team.”

PREMIER LEAGUE rivals Tottenham and West Ham United clash in Saturday's London derby.

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Tottenham to win: Spurs enjoyed a five-game winning streak before their late collapse at Brighton before the international break. Ange Postecoglou will expect a big response from his side, who have more attempts on goal and a higher xG than any Premier League side this season.

Both teams to score: Both teams have also netted in seven of the last nine H2H meetings. The pair only have a combined three clean sheets in the league this season, while the pair have only blanked once in seven league games.

Brennan Johnson to score: He's scored in each of his last seven games for club and country. He's also had more touches in the penalty area than any of his Tottenham colleagues (56) and he's had a massive 21 shots inside the penalty area - averaging an effort every 24.2 minutes.

Dejan Kulusevski carded: The Swedish international, 24, has committed more fouls than any Tottenham player this season (11) and already has two yellow cards in seven league games this season.

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PREMIER LEAGUE rivals Tottenham and West Ham United clash in Saturday's London derby.

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Goals could be the order of the day in London. Only three sides can better Tottenham's 14 goals scored this season, while NOBODY has more attempts inside the penalty area (88) or a higher xG (15.03).

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LONDON rivals Tottenham and West Ham United battle it out in the Premier League's early kick-off on Saturday afternoon.

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Tottenham vs West Ham preview

Premier League football returns following the international break, and we kick-start with two sides with something to prove.

Tottenham will be desperate to demonstrate that their 3-2 collapse against Brighton was a one-off blip.

While Julen Lopetegui's West Ham United need to prove they can build on that 4-1 thrashing of Ipswich Town at the London Stadium.

It's been an inauspicious start to the 2024-25 campaign for Spurs, despite manager Ange Postecoglou declaring that he "always" wins things in his second year.

Tottenham sit ninth in the division with three wins, three defeats and a draw from their opening seven fixtures.

There's no doubt they've been entertaining though.

Only three sides (Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal) can better their 14 goals scored, while NOBODY has had more attempts inside the penalty area (88) or a higher xG (15.03).

Julen Lopetegui has taken a fair bit of flak during his start at the London Stadium, although West Ham's record is quite similar to that of their London rivals.

The Hammers are 12th with eight points from their first seven matches, although their points tally at this stage is the lowest they've accumulated over the past five seasons.

Although their run has included the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa.

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Brennan Johnson's stock continues to rise with the Wales international having scored in each of his last seven games for club and country.

Only eight Premier League players have registered more than his 21 attempts on goal this season, while his xG of 2.88 is the ninth-highest in the division.

He's had more touches in the penalty area than any of his Tottenham colleagues (56) and he's had a massive 21 shots inside the penalty area - averaging an effort every 24.2 minutes.

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The Swedish international, 24, has committed more fouls than any Tottenham player this season (11) and already has two yellow cards in seven league games this season.

Kulusevski, who was booked in his last outing against Brighton, has a total of 15 cards in 106 games for Spurs. He was also shown a yellow in this meeting last season.

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CHELSEA have been handed a never-before-seen kick-off time for an upcoming London derby.

The Blues have had SEVEN matches moved in December and January due to the latest round of TV selections.

Fixtures over the festive period have now been chosen for live broadcast across Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video.

Amongst them is Chelsea's home match against Brentford at Stamford Bridge.

The match will now take place at 7pm on Sunday, December 15 due to Chelsea's Conference League commitments on the previous Thursday.

Enzo Maresca's side travel to Kazakhstan to face Astana just three days earlier on December 12.

Chelsea fans are less than pleased by the unique kick-off time on a Sunday night.

Reacting on social media, one supporter wrote: "Brentford at home on a Sunday at 7pm is the most utterly woke nonsense I’ve seen."

Another fumed: "7pm on a Sunday lol f*** off."

To add to the frustrations of the Blues fans, the visit of the Bees will not be shown on TV.

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Instead, TNT Sports will broadcast Southampton vs Tottenham at the same time.

Spurs are also in European action on December 12 as they visit Rangers in the Europa League.

Their fans are equally unimpressed with the fixture change as they face an evening trip to the south coast.

Following the announcement, one fan commented: "I will not be there!"

Meanwhile, another added: "Since when was a 7pm kick off on a Sunday a thing…"

Elsewhere, Arsenal have had eight fixtures moved, including their home clash with Manchester United.

The match will now take place at the Emirates Stadium on December 3 at 7.45pm.

Ipswich's Boxing Day visit to North London has also been pushed back to December 27 at 8.15pm live on Amazon Prime Video.

EDDIE HOWE will shoot to the top of Tottenham’s managerial hit-list if Amanda Staveley and her money men invest in the North Londoners.

The Newcastle gaffer is also strongly fancied within the FA as they look to find a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate.

But Wembley chiefs are unwilling to pay compensation and Howe’s long-term contract — believed to run to 2027 — would involve a huge compensation bill.

Former Toon co-owner Staveley and her mega-rich backers are keen to take a stake in Spurs and she is a massive fan of former Bournemouth boss Howe.

He would top her wish list if things do not improve for Ange Postecoglou after a stuttering start to life in N17.

The projected buy-in by Staveley and Co is taking some time to happen and that project still appears weeks from completion.

But Howe could be a wanted man by both club and country.

England technical director John McDermott is keen on Howe for the national post because of his playing style and experience.

Howe, 46, is thought to consider himself too young for that job, especially as he still enjoys club football so much.

He would also cost a fortune to appoint with salary demands and Toon compensation to work against him in the FA’s equation.

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But with the FA yet to commit to Lee Carsley on a permanent basis that door will remain open for him.

Newcastle are seventh in the early Premier League table.

Last time out they drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are ninth under Ange Postecoglou.

They were beaten 3-2 by Brighton prior to the international break, having gone into the match on the South Coast on a five-game winning streak.

SON HEUNG-MIN's father has been fined over child abuse and issued a grovelling apology in court.

Woong-jung Son and his brother Heung-yun Son were sentenced on Friday in a South Korean court.

The pair were fined three million won which is the equivalent of £1,700.

They were both charged for having insulted and hit young players in the football academy run by Woong-jun Son.

As well as being fined, the two, along with another coach, will have to undertake 40 hours of anti-child abuse training.

The defendants have a week to appeal the decision.

After the sentencing, Woong-jung Son apologised to the court.

He insisted that the coaching staff at his academy have "never spoke or acted in a way that was not based on love for children".

Woong-jung Son is a best-selling author for his book about training his son, Son Heung-Min, to become one of the best in the world.

Meanwhile, the Tottenham star is currently in the treatment room for a hamstring injury.

The forward picked up the knock while playing for the North London outfit in the Europa League clash against Qarabag.

So far this season, Son has featured in seven matches in all competitions for Spurs, scoring twice.

He has been outshone at the club by the sparkling recent form of Brennan Johnson.

The Welsh winger has started to justify his £50million price tag that the club paid to prize him away from Nottingham Forest in 2023.

Johnson has scored six goals in 10 appearances this campaign, including goals in his last three Premier League games.

GRAEME SOUNESS has branded Ange Postecoglou's 'Angeball' tactical approach "naive" rather than brave.

The former Celtic boss is feeling the heat after his Tottenham Hotspur side threw away a two-goal lead at Brighton last week to sit back in ninth in the table during the international break.

Where it had once been hoped that Postecoglou front-foot tactics could make Spurs into title contenders, there's little sign of that right now.

And Rangers hero Souness went back to the example of last November and a clash with rivals Chelsea which saw Tottenham still sticking with a high line despite having two men sent off.

Speaking on Three Up Front, William Hill’s podcast which also features Simon Jordan and Troy Deeney, Souness said: “When I think of Ange Postecoglou, I go back to that game against Chelsea where they got two players sent off and he still had them playing right up to the halfway line.

"The only time you can do that is when you’ve got 11 players on the pitch and the ball is constantly under pressure.

“The minute someone can get their head up, you’re in trouble.

"They could have conceded four or five more goals that game – I thought that was naïve.

"It’s naïve to talk like that and say that the more open the game is, the better it is.

"If they’d lost that game seven or eight goals to two, you’ve lost the players as a manager. He wasn’t brave that day, they got lucky.

“He’s walked into Tottenham without bringing any of his own staff, is he so naïve as to think he can trust any of the coaching staff he’s inherited not to go to the chairman with their tittle-tattle?

"I would not take a job and think I can just walk into it – it’s madness – you need to go in with people you trust because being a manager is lonely."

Souness reckons Postecoglou also had to hammer home the importance of scoring a killer third goal at Brighton last week.

Instead, they conceded a goal to Brighton just minutes after the re-start, with Danny Welbeck eventually completing a remarkable resurgence.

Souness said: “The Tottenham players should have known better.

"You learn it at school – when you’re 2-0 up the next goal is vital.

"If you concede, the momentum is suddenly with the opposition but if you go to 3-0 up, the game is over.

“I don’t know if Spurs have any leaders.

"When they go into the dressing room at half-time, the chat should be, ‘we can’t concede the next goal, this game is far from over’ – that’s what Ange Postecoglou should be telling them.

"He needed to remind them that if they were to concede, everyone’s going to be all over you.

“I think the issues at Spurs boil down to the manager and the coaching staff.

"The only message they needed to give the players in that game when the half-time whistle blew was to play more of the same.

"Spurs just ended up capitulating which is why Postecoglou was so deflated after the game, he thought he had some warriors in that team and was proven otherwise.”

GRAHAM POTTER has given his verdict on Ange Postecoglou's "shell shocked" interview.

The Tottenham boss was left downbeat after his side threw away a 2-0 half-time lead to lose at Brighton.

It is a third Prem defeat of the season for Spurs in just seven matches, having been beaten by Newcastle and rivals Arsenal.

Postecoglou described the Brighton result as his worst defeat in charge of Tottenham, and he barely took his eyes off the floor in his post-match interview.

His gloomy demeanour led Joe Hart to question Potter about Postecoglou needing good support around him, hinting managers can sometimes allow their emotions to get the better of them.

Potter said on Match of the Day 2: "I think it comes with experience. Always we are trying to find the right words.

"Getting angry's easy, getting upset is easy. As leaders as coaches you can't throw your team under the bus, you can't throw players under the bus, you want to support them.

"At the same time you need to show you are taking responsibility, that people are accountable to supporters.

"So it's a fine line between when you're winning you're this emotionally intelligent calm person, and when you're losing you need to be more angry."

Potter's last comment triggered laughter from his colleagues as he was famously lamented at Chelsea for being too nice.

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He often refused to slam referees during his stint in the Prem in charge of Chelsea and Brighton, but asserted that did not mean he never got angry.

Potter said previously: “Of course I get angry, I’m a human being, it’s just I choose to conduct myself in the way I think is the right way to conduct myself on the sideline.

“I think the same media are talking about me being more angry but then running stories about problems with referees at grassroots level.

“They don’t see the connection. That’s not to say we don’t all lose our temper; we do because it’s an emotional thing.

“I have a responsibility to myself, to Chelsea, to the game, and to act in a way that is the right thing for me.”

Fans were taken aback by Postecoglou's interview with one saying: "I don't think I have ever seen a manager Shell shocked like this with what he saw from his own team.😮"

Another added: "Defeated man."

AT half-time in this bonkers game, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler looked to have been schooled completely by wise old Ange Postecoglou.

But the remarkably young Albion chief showed no respect whatsoever for his elder by masterminding a stunning second-half fightback.

The 27-year, 138-day gap between the pair was the fourth biggest in Premier League history between two competing permanent managers.

That gulf in experience seemed to show as Spurs dismantled Brighton’s high line to take a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to strikes from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison.

But Hurzeler’s men hit back with three goals in 18 minutes during the second period through Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck.

Postecoglou’s side, who had been coasting towards a sixth straight win, looked shellshocked.

And they only had themselves to blame thanks to their weak defending, with lax left-back Destiny Udogie at fault in all three Albion goals.

Their fans detest the term, but this was peak Spursy.

While it underlined the faith Brighton had in giving Hurzeler such an early shot.

Fans joked that this game would be played largely in the centre-circle due to the two managers’ penchant for a defensive high line.

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Spurs took just 16 seconds to capitalise on the space in behind as Timo Werner raced in but the luckless German overhit his cross to Johnson in the middle.

That was the beginning of Postecoglou side’s dominance in the first half, while the hosts lost Adam Webster to what looked like a hamstring injury inside seven minutes.

Werner’s first game in English football came here at the Amex in August 2020 after recently signing for Chelsea for a friendly in the early days of fans coming back to games post Covid.

Just 2,500 supporters watched him net that day four minutes into his unofficial debut.

Scoring goals pretty much ever since has been a tough ask for the man on loan from RB Leipzig, though he came close to breaking his season duck on 22 minutes here.

The 28-year-old headed a Pedro Porro cross goalwards and the ball seemed to go over the line via Maddison - but it was eventually chalked off for offside.

Spurs shook off the disappointment and moments later they were 1-0 up thanks to, who else, but Johnson.

The Welshman appears to be undergoing a one-man experiment exploring the benefits of coming off social media having ditched Instagram due to fan abuse after last month’s North London derby.

His productivity levels have gone through the roof ever since with this his sixth goal in as many games.

The finish he applied here underlined his sky-high confidence as he raced on to a Dominic Solanke through-ball and cleanly swept it past Bart Verbruggen with his weaker left foot.

Spurs’ brilliant pressing game, which has caused nigh-on every opponent a headache this term, was putting Brighton under constant pressure.

So it was no surprise that the move that led to the opener was sparked by Udogie and Maddison combining to rob Rutter of possession.

Fair to say fans had less faith in Werner’s finishing than Johnson’s but the ex-Blues forward was having Joel Veltman on toast with his pace down the left.

And it was from Werner’s cut-back, after more brilliant build-up play by the excellent Solanke, that Maddison’s lukewarm strike somehow went through Verbruggen for goal No2.

Brighton had the odd opportunity - a Welbeck flick here, a header from the ex-Man Utd man there - but lacked the guile of recent years.

The creative instincts of Pascal Gross, who said a proper goodbye to the crowd before kick-off following his summer move to Borussia Dortmund, were sorely missed.

Johnson could and maybe should have trebled the lead just before half-time when played through but he fired a bobbling ball narrowly over from an acute angle.

It did not seem like it would be at the time but it proved to be a costly miss.

The first step of the comeback came when Hurzeler hooked the green-looking Ferdi Kadioglu for Pervis Estupinan.

It was a smart switch but the reality was the turnaround was sparked by a moment of luck, when Udogie somehow failed to clear Kaoru Mitoma’s routine cross.

Udogie would have been better off leaving the ball completely but his careless intervention allowed Minteh to slam home at the far stick.

It woke the hosts up from their slump, with Mitoma suddenly looking dangerous.

The Japan star fired a warning shot which stung Guglielmo’s fingers.

Then, just before the hour, he received the ball from Kadioglu’s replacement Pervis Estupinan and played through Rutter.

The ex-Leeds man held off weak challenges from Udogie and Micky van de Ven and expertly found the far corner.

You would have thought those errors would liven up Udogie but the Italian somehow then let Rutter in behind him.

Rodrigo Bentancur was then guilty of foolishly trying to shepherd the ball out, allowing a sliding Rutter to loop up a cross for Welbeck to head home with glee.

Spurs looked cooked from there after their midweek European travails, leaving Postecoglou scratching his head and young buck Hurzeler holding his high.