Tottenham Hotspur closed in on rival Arsenal on Sunday in the Premier League with a home victory against AFC Bournemouth. Heung-min Son played a key role for the home team.
After a strong start, Tottenham Hotspur's form in the Premier League has seen a downturn, while Bournemouth has been on an upward trajectory in recent weeks.
The match in North London highlighted that The Cherries are indeed a formidable opponent. Dominic Solanke, who has been in outstanding form, hit the crossbar, and along with Justin Kluivert, consistently posed a threat.
Despite the challenging opposition, Tottenham Hotspur secured a lead at halftime thanks to Pape Sarr, who took advantage of a turnover initiated by Rodrigo Bentancur's effective pressing. Unfortunately, Sarr didn't complete the first half as he left the field injured, raising concerns about his participation in the Africa Cup with Senegal.
In the second half, Bournemouth naturally opened up more defensively. After Richarlison missed an opportunity to capitalize on a breakout, Son found the net in the far corner after 71 minutes. The 'farewell gift' from Son, who will soon depart for the Asia Cup, played a role in securing the three points for the home team.
Richarlison then removed any remaining uncertainty with the 3-0 goal, rendering Alex Scott's consolation goal purely of statistical value. Both Kluivert and Luis Sinisterra were substituted after 61 minutes for Bournemouth, while Marcos Senesi played the full match for the twelfth-placed team. As of now, Tottenham Hotspur sits in fifth place, just one point behind Arsenal, who suffered a loss to Fulham on Sunday.
On Monday night, Liverpool will host the struggling Newcastle United, and the Premier League's busy end-of-year period concludes on Tuesday with the match between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
