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Pochettino: Son Heung-Min “on fire” after match-winning Champions League goal

We (among many others) made that joke first, but it bears repeating.

PFC CSKA Moskva v Tottenham Hotspur FC - UEFA Champions League Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Lots of us made the obvious joke after Son Heung-Min scored in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 Champions League win over CSKA Moscow tonight: the young Korean is on fire! Pochettino was quick to hail Son’s scintillating form in comments to the media in the Arena CSKA

“It is very important that without Harry, who was good before his injury and scored, that now another player has scored, that is very important for the team.

I feel very pleased for Sonny. He is on fire as you say in the media and to keep this form is very important for us.”

Sonny poked home a ball through the arms of CSKA and Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev late in the match to score the only goal of the game. His goal came after starting striker Vincent Janssen was subbed off for pacy winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, another stand-out performer in his cameo. Sonny was moved up to center forward and took advantage of his hot form.

The goal was Sonny’s fifth goal in five games for Tottenham, a remarkable achievement for a player who struggled last season and asked to be sold back to Germany before being persuaded to stay by Pochettino.

In the same post-match comments, Poche also hailed his rotated side, which included players like N’Koudou, Kieran Trippier, Victor Wanyama, and Harry Winks.

"Now you can see all the players are key. That is important to learn about the whole season because you never know when players can become key for the team.

"Maybe I am boring you about that, it is true some players play more than others, but always it is important you need all the players ready to compete.

"Some players in specific moments, that player who has not achieved much can be important for achieving important things."

The win was especially huge for Spurs as Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen drew today in Monaco. Spurs are now second in the table with three points, one point behind Monaco. Spurs travel next to Germany to play Son’s old club Bayer on October 18.