‘I only see the net’ - Sonny on Harry’s penalties
Mon 16 May 2022, 16:15|
Tottenham Hotspur
Who else would you want to step up for what could be a season-defining penalty? In fact, two in the space of four days in this dramatic end to our Premier League campaign?
Heung-Min Son has no doubts when his partner in crime Harry Kane puts the ball on the spot, just as he did to get us ahead in Thursday night’s memorable 3-0 derby win against Arsenal, and again to secure three vital points against Burnley on Sunday - on each occasion, winning the psychological battle of facing England team-mates Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope in goal.
That made it 21 successful penalties on the trot in all competitions for Harry, and 28 out of 31 in the Premier League - his last miss at Anfield in February, 2018, where he stepped up minutes later to convert another spot-kick in front of The Kop to earn a 2-2 draw.
Asked what he's generally thinking when Harry is stepping up from 12 yards, Sonny told us: “I see only the net. He’s the only one... the best of the penalty takers. You could trust him at any moment, 60 minutes, 96, in the last seconds, you can trust him easily. You know where the ball goes, even the goalkeeper knows, but he puts it in the corner. It was good to see again. I don’t feel any pressure. Harry probably does, but I don’t when he shoots.”
It was a really tough game, but you saw the character of the players, the personality - now, one more important game to go next week...
Sonny was left to wonder quite how Burnley goalkeeper Pope denied him in the second half as Harry’s penalty proved decisive on Sunday.
Twice it looked certain that the net would bulge - firstly, a low left-foot shot heading for the bottom corner, secondly, a rifle down the middle, both from 10 yards, both from Ryan Sessegnon crosses - but Pope got down to tip the first away and made a reaction block the second.
Burnley cranked up the aerial pressure as the second half progressed, but we stayed strong defensively to secure a fifth clean sheet in our last 10 games - a run where we’ve conceded just five goals - and another huge win to leapfrog Arsenal and move into fourth by two points with the Gunners at Newcastle on Monday evening.
“It was a really tough game,” added Sonny. “Burnley prepared really well and fought hard. It’s not an easy position for them. The lads did a fantastic job because we played such and intense game last Thursday night, today again, so it was a proud performance and always good to finish well in the last home game.”
