Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min - like many of his teammates - was found wanting in Spurs' 2-0 Premier League loss to London rivals Chelsea in midweek, where the Lilywhites' fleeting Champions League chances suffered another crushing blow.
To accommodate the return of Richarlison as Spurs' focal point, Son reverted to a left-wing position at Stamford Bridge, but he got little change out of Alfie Gilchrist and eventually revered to a central role when Richarlison was hauled off.
However, the South Korea international did not manage a single shot on or indeed off target, was caught offside twice and lost possession 11 times, all while enjoying just 42 touches of the ball in West London.
Son's record in 2024 alone is not underwhelming by any stretch, but he has now managed just one goal in his last five Premier League appearances for Tottenham, and even that was an inconsequential penalty in last weekend's North London derby defeat.
The 31-year-old's last goal from open play came in the 2-1 success over Luton Town on March 30, and even then his 86th-minute winner took a wicked deflection on its way into the back of the net, but the statistics suggest the fire could now be relit.
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Son out to score for fifth game in a row against Liverpool
Sunday's Premier League main event sees Tottenham head north to face another faltering giant in Liverpool, with both clubs at risk of seeing their ambitions crash and burn should they fall to defeat on Merseyside.
Son could very well revert to his left-wing position on what would be his 300th Premier League appearance for Tottenham - only Hugo Lloris (361) and Harry Kane (317) have more - and the Lilywhites captain has been Liverpool's nemesis in recent times.
The 31-year-old is bidding to score for the fifth Premier League game in a row against the Reds this week, having struck for the fourth time on the spin in September's fiery 2-1 success in North London, netting the opener before the Luis Diaz VAR farce stole the spotlight.
Prior to that controversial triumph, Son both scored and laid on an assist for Richarlison - who thought his injury-time header was the clincher - in last year's 4-3 Anfield loss, where the Brazilian's thunder was stolen by Diogo Jota right at the end.
The South Korean was unavailable for last season's 2-1 home defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side due to an eye socket fracture, but he also netted in a pair of draws with Liverpool in the 2021-22 season, after his most recent blank in January 2021.
Son could match Jamie Vardy record against leaky Liverpool
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Son did register at Anfield just one month before, though, and the Spurs skipper could now become just the second man to score in five successive Premier League games against Liverpool, emulating Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy.
Son has every right to feel confident of doing so when Liverpool's defensive capitulation is factored into the equation, as the Reds have kept no clean sheets in their last eight Premier League games and just one in their last 14.
Furthermore, Klopp admitted on Friday that his own captain - Virgil van Dijk - was a fitness doubt for the game, so Son may be licking his lips at the prospect of squaring up to the inexperienced Jarell Quansah.
While Son may reignite his scoring touch on Merseyside, his efforts may not be enough to reignite Spurs' top-four chances, as Liverpool have never suffered a single Premier League defeat in May during the Klopp era.
The hosts have won nine and drawn four of their 13 such matches, and simply targeting Tottenham from set-pieces would be a recipe for success for Klopp's vengeful squad.
Ben Knapton
