Even with the departure of Harry Kane (30), Tottenham has gotten even better. There have been many changes to the squad, but vice-captain James Maddison (27) stands out. The new addition to the midfield has brought a lot of energy to the team.

Tottenham defeated Burnley 5-2 in the fourth round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) at Turf Moor in Burnley, England, on Sunday (Sept. 2) behind a hat-trick from Son Heung-min. With the win, Spurs improved to 3-1-1 (10 points) and sit second in the league, two points behind leaders Manchester City. Meanwhile, Burnley, who were promoted this season, dropped to the bottom of the table with their third straight league defeat.

This is the fourth time Son has scored a hat trick in the EPL. He scored his first EPL hat-trick with four goals against Southampton in September 2020, followed by a hat-trick against Aston Villa in April 2002 and another against Leicester City in September of the same year. Son also scored his 106th career EPL goal, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo (103) and Didier Drogba (104) and joining Darren Bent (106) on the all-time list. Tied for 30th in EPL career goals.

The departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich this season has led to speculation that Tottenham would be weakened by the departure of their mainstay and moral compass, but instead, the Spurs have played with more dynamism and have been on fire since the start of the league.

In their opening game against Brentford, they had to settle for a point in a difficult 2-2 draw away from home. However, they followed that up with a 2-0 home win over ‘giants’ Manchester United, a 2-0 win at Bournemouth, and a 5-2 thrashing at Burnley.

While Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick against Burnley, it was Madsen’s performance that shone through. While Son was deployed as a frontline striker, Madison played in the midfield as a passer, coordinating the attack and defense. After scoring his first goal, Son celebrated with a big hug. In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, he was brought down in the penalty box after receiving a penetrating pass from Son Heung-min. Although the referee didn’t blow the whistle, it was a bold move by both players.

In the second half, Madison continued to be active. In the fourth minute of the second half, he was able to keep the ball calmly on the left flank of the penalty box. He even tried to finish, but it didn’t work out.
‘Organic chemistry with Son Heung-min’ Madsen explodes for second league goal
Madison’s small movements were also key to Son’s second goal in the 18th minute, as Solomon’s cross from the left drew the attention of the opposing defense as he surged forward alongside Son. As he pushed forward, Son was able to slow down and create space, receiving the pass and finishing with a non-stop right-footed inside shot. Madison had a blast celebrating with Son Heung-min, performing a ‘click’ ceremony. It was a bit of a “I want Son Heung-min” moment. Finally, four minutes after the second goal, in the 22nd minute, Son completed his hat trick off a pass from Pedro Foro.

Overshadowed somewhat by Son’s hat-trick, Maddison also scored a fantastic goal on the day. In the ninth minute of the second half, after receiving a pass from Destiny Udoji, Maddison dribbled into the penalty area and unleashed a razor-sharp right-footed curling shot into the right corner of Burnley’s goal. It was reminiscent of Son Heung-min’s trademark right-footed curling shot, but with less trajectory and more speed. It was Madison’s second goal of the season. Earlier in the match, in the 34th minute, Madison played a one-two with Matar Saar on the left flank before unleashing a powerful right-footed curling shot.

After the game, soccer stats site Fourscore.com gave Son a top rating of 9.6, but also gave Madison an 8.9 rating. Solomon (9.0) was the third highest rated player on the team, while Footmob (9.6), Solomon (8.9), and Maddison (8.5) were the highest rated players on the team. Football London also gave Son Heung-min a perfect rating of 10, followed by Madison with 9 and Solomon with 8. Football London actually rated Maddison higher than Solomon.

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Maddison is a specialist midfielder who Spurs ambitiously signed in late June. He is capped by the England national team and is known for his reading of the game, accurate passing, and sharp shooting. After joining Coventry City FC (England) in 2014, he had spells at Norwich City and Aberdeen FC (Scotland) before joining Leicester City in the summer of 2018. Since then, he has developed into a Leicester City ace. He scored 12 goals and provided 8 assists in the league in 2021-2022 and 10 goals and 9 assists in 30 league appearances last season. However, as Leicester City suffered relegation last season, Maddison managed to escape and joined Tottenham.

He now wears the number 10 shirt. The same number worn by Tottenham ace Kane. That’s how important Madison is to the team. While Kane is a more static player, Maddison is a playmaker who uses his movement to speed up the team’s offense. He’s even getting up to Son Heung-min’s speed. Tottenham have struggled to find a midfielder who can open things up in the middle of the park since Christian Eriksen (Manchester United) left the club in 2020. This has led to the likes of Kane and Son Heung-min dropping down to the center of the field, but that will no longer be the case. That’s because they have Maddison. Tottenham’s next opponent (at home on September 16) is underdog Sheffield United, and it will be interesting to see how he and Son perform.