Tottenham Hotspur will make the short four-mile trip across North London on Sunday to face bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in what is the most anticipated North London Derby in years.
As one of the biggest fixtures in the season, it's a game that doesn't need anything more to make it a spectacle, but the brilliance of both teams this season suggests that this encounter could be fiery.
One of the men who'll undoubtedly be at the centre of everything Tottenham do is Son Heung-min. The South Korean captain is now the Lilywhites' new captain following the departure of Harry Kane in the summer and has since upped his game and taken more responsibility in the team.
A move to centre-forward has reinvigorated his game after a somewhat disappointing season last year, and under new boss Ange Postecoglou, he looks ready to take charge of Sunday's game.
With that in mind, we here at Football FanCast have taken a look into the stats to see how he usually performs against the Gunners and just what the Spurs faithful can expect from their new captain this weekend.
What is Son Heung-min's goal record against Arsenal?
Son has faced off against Arsenal 18 times in his career thus far, with 16 of those encounters coming in the Premier League and the other two in the League Cup. His first game against the Gunners came in a league game in November 2015, when he came off the bench in the 75th minute, and given that it was such a short cameo, he was unable to register a goal or an assist.
His first start in the derby would come a year later in his third appearance against the club; he would last 89 minutes and help the team to a 1-1 draw away from home but again fail to score or assist a goal.
Finally, at the ninth time of asking, Son scored a goal in a game away to Arsenal, helping the Lilywhites to a rare win away to the Gunners. That goal must've given him a confidence boost, as in the nine games that have followed that one, he has scored another four goals against the club, becoming a real thorn in their side ever since.
Games
18
Goals
5
What is Son Heung-min's assist record against Arsenal?
As if five goals for a winger wasn't already good enough, the South Korean international has been able to provide just as many assists.
Similarly to his first goal against Arsenal, his first assist against the Gunners came quite late into his Spurs career. The assist itself is an odd one, as it wasn't a live pass or anything like that; instead, Son was fouled in the box by Rob Holding, and Harry Kane buried the resulting penalty. That said, it's registered as an assist, and that is what really matters.
While his first assist was ultimately in vain as Arsenal came from behind to win, every assist he has provided since has either come in a draw or a Spurs win – a lucky omen, perhaps?
Games
18
Assists
5
What is Son Heung-min's head-to-head record with Arsenal?
Son has been instrumental to Tottenham's recent era of relative success, success that has seen them regularly competing in the Champions League – even making the final – and so it probably shouldn't come as a big surprise to read that his record against the Gunners is reasonably impressive.
Granted, he has lost more games against Arsenal than he has won, but only by one game and given that the Gunners have tended to win more than they lose in this fixture, that's pretty good going.
The 31-year-old has been a vital member of a team that has turned these games into genuine competitions and regularly beaten their neighbours, all while finishing ahead of them more often than not over the last six years.
What's more is that he has directly contributed with a goal or assist – or both – in four of the team's last six wins against Arsenal.
Wins
6
Draws
5
Losses
7
How many goals and assists does Son Heung-min have at the Emirates?
If there is one place that Spurs do not enjoy travelling to, regardless of the form they're in, is the Emirates. It doesn't matter if Arsenal are in a bad spot of their own or not; N7 has not been a happy hunting ground for the Lilywhites.
Unfortunately for Son, this is no different for him. He has played at the Emirates nine times in his career, won just once, drawn three times, and lost the other five.
That said, his personal record of goals and assists is quite good, all things considered, as two of each gives him a goal involvement every 2.25 games, which is an impressive statistic away to your biggest rival.
Games
9
Goals
2
Assists
2
How many goals and assists does Son Heung-min have at home?
Playing Arsenal at home has been an excellent fixture for Son and Spurs since he arrived in N17 eight years ago.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star has won five of the nine games he has played against the Gunners at home, and from 2019 onwards, he has been a consistent producer of goals and assists in these fixtures.
His best performance came in May 2022, in a game many saw as essentially a playoff for fourth place. Arsenal went into the game in good form, but that didn't last as Son tore them apart, winning his team a penalty and scoring a goal of his own to wrap up Spurs' 3-0 win.
Fans will be hoping that he can reproduce a performance like that away from home come Sunday.
Games
9
Goals
3
Assists
3
Who has Son Heung-min scored against the most?
Stepping away from the North London Derby now, who else has Son terrorised in the Premier League over the years?
Well, there is one team that have suffered from Son's excellence more than anyone else, and it's not even close: Southampton.
Yes, in the 17 games the dynamic Spurs star has played against the Saints, he has scored a frankly ridiculous 12 goals, and if that wasn't enough for whatever reason, he has also provided seven assists against the side – equal to his seven assists against West Ham United.
In all, Son has managed 19 goal involvements in just 17 appearances against the side, which translates to 1.1 every game. We reckon Southampton will be secretly quite pleased about not facing him again this season.
How many goals and assists does Son Heung-min have in the Premier League?
Son has now played 273 Premier League games and is fast approaching 300, which is a remarkable achievement in its own right and shows how good he has been since moving from the Bundesliga eight years ago.
That longevity is no accident, though; he has lasted so long at the top due to his unbelievable performances and output over that period. In all, he has scored 106 goals and produced 52 assists thus far, which means he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.7 games in the toughest league in world football.
He doesn't hide away in the big games either, as his tally of 52 assists means that just under 10% of them have come in North London derbies, which has to bode well for the weekend, right?
With Postecoglou at the helm and Son's new position up top, we wouldn't be surprised to see his numbers get even better by the time he reaches that 300th appearance.
Games
273
Goals
106
Assists
52
How has Son Heung-min done this season?
In the absence of Kane, Son has been made Tottenham captain, and to say that they have got off to a fantastic start under his captaincy and Postecoglou's guidance would be a huge understatement.
There is no doubt that, as things stand, Spurs are one of the form teams in the country- if not the continent – and Son is a massive part of that.
He has started all five of the team's league games, and in the first game he played up top against Burnley, he scored a hat-trick which is incredibly encouraging after a slight down year last season.
His underlying numbers, per FBref, are also excellent, with the rapid forward producing 3.73 shot-creating actions and 0.21 expected assists per 90.
Granted, the real challenge will be whether he can continue this form for most of the season, but so far, we haven't seen any reason to doubt him.
When is Arsenal vs Spurs?
Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 24th, at 2pm British Summer Time. As we mentioned earlier, this is already one of the biggest games in the English footballing calendar, and so the form and ambitions of both sides going into the game only amplify that more.
The hosts will want to use this game as a potential statement to the rest of the league that, after some early season hiccups, they are well and truly back as a genuine force in the title race this year. Plus, losing at home to Spurs is a surefire way to squash any morale picked up from their midweek win.
For Spurs, this game is the perfect opportunity to announce themselves as a serious team in the league after several miserable years under defensive managers. The game has also come at the ideal time for them as they are flying in the league, and morale among players and fans alike couldn't be higher – unless they beat the Gunners, that is.
It's going to be a cracking game; make sure you don't miss it.
