Saved by Maddison: Ange must drop 6/10 Spurs star who lost the ball 13x

Seeing off Manchester United on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur have now won back-to-back matches in the Premier League and will look to make further headway and close down Brighton & Hove Albion on the edge of the top half.

This is hardly what Ange Postecoglou will have envisaged for his second season in charge of Spurs, having also been dumped out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this month, but context is important: Tottenham have been throttled by injuries.

However, there might now be real daylight at the end of the tunnel, with Tottenham pushing their way out of the selection crisis that has hit their campaign like a freight train.

To be sure, Postecoglou’s squad is on the mend, and having claimed a ticket to the last 16 of the Europa League, there’s still hope that something special can be salvaged from this testing and taxing year.

James Maddison made his return from injury on Sunday evening, darted into space to lash home from close range to score the only goal of the game. His form could be the key over the coming months.

James Maddison makes his return

One of Tottenham’s chief – if not the – playmakers, Maddison’s chequered Tottenham career has met its hurdles primarily because of injuries. His electric start in 2023/24 was halted by a ruinous ankle setback, and he has missed recent weeks of action due to a calf strain.

He returned with vim and vigour against Man United, poking in to take his tally to nine Premier League goals from 22 games this season, having also placed four assists.

Respected journalist Henry Winter commented post-match that Tottenham were “hungrier and better organised” than their counterparts, with Maddison “clinical when it counted.”

His dynamism and energy are things that Tottenham used to channel their Ange-patent slickness and bite, with Maddison ranking among the top 1% of Premier League midfielders this term for goals, the top 10% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

A player of parts, then. Maddison wasn’t at his rip-roaring best against United but his skill set still added something of value to Tottenham’s team, helped the likes of Mathys Tel, who was wasteful yet promising, and acted as the focal creative presence, with his teammates turning to his agency.

With a trip to Ipswich Town followed by the mid-week hosting of Manchester City, Tottenham will need to use their recent success as a springboard. It might mean that Ange should issue some rotation next weekend.

The fact that this is even possible speaks volumes regarding how bad the injury crisis has been, but with frontliners back on the pitch, Ange might consider boldly dropping his captain, Heung-min Son.

Why Ange should drop Heung-min Son

Son, 32, is a Tottenham legend, having played 442 matches for the Londoners, notched 264 goal involvements and received the captaincy after Harry Kane and then Hugo Lloris left the club.

He’s been forced to shoulder quite the heavy burden this season with his teammates dropping like flies. Centre-forwards Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are currently sidelined, while Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert returned from the injury front yesterday, the former earning some game time.

Writing in his post-match ratings, football.london’s Alasdair Gold did give Son a 6/10 player rating and acknowledged his effort toward clinching a much-needed win, but he lacked some of his usual incisiveness in front of goal, also creating four key passes, as per Sofascore, but missing the mark with six of his eight crosses and squandering possession 13 times.

He’s still an important part of Tottenham’s team, not least because of his leadership skills, his galvanising quality. However, Son’s output has decreased.

A shift toward greater creative output – creating 13 big chances and averaging 1.9 key passes per Premier League match – has helped Son to stay a key member of the project, and of course, he will always be a first-class finisher, but his athleticism has slanted downward.

There’s also a case that Son benefitted from Maddison’s impetus behind him, allowing him to find greater space and security. Moreover, the excellent Djed Spence won seven of eight duels, winning four of three attempted dribbles, to create a sense of energy and urgency about Tottenham’s left flank. It’s a partnership that works well for Son, and saves him from being stretched too far.

It wasn’t Son’s worst performance of the season. He was lively and driven toward claiming an invaluable top-flight victory, also playing well in the closing stages as Tottenham scrambled to preserve their lead and clean sheet.

He’s hardly running on fumes and showed as much against Ruben Amorim’s beleaguered bunch, but Son has played an awful lot of football this season, more than Postecoglou would probably have wanted him to play.

Tottenham won’t walk into Portman Road with the false sense that three points will be a given; Ipswich have already beaten the Lilywhites in their own backyard this season.

However, with Johnson and Odobert back in the squad, Mikey Moore too, and Timo Werner also slated for a return this week, it might be wise to bench the skipper for this one, not least because he’s started ten of his club’s 12 matches across all competitions so far in 2025, playing to a high intensity.

Hopefully, with strength in numbers, Tottenham can turn a corner here and push toward success to prove the many doubters wrong. Son will play a big part, but he cannot start every match.

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