Korean striker ‘Bull’ Hwang Hee-chan (27, Wolverhampton) was named as a candidate for the October goal of the English Premier League (EPL).
On the 3rd (Korean time), the EPL Secretariat revealed the eight candidates nominated for October’s Goal on its official website. Hwang Hee-chan’s equalizer in the Wolverhampton-Newcastle match in the 10th round of the Premier League held on the 29th of last month was also included. It competes with great goals scored by Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot and Arsenal striker Eddie Nkedia.레모나토토 도메인
Hwang Hee-chan scored a goal against Newcastle when the team was losing 1-2. Hwang Hee-chan’s calmness stood out. At that time, Hwang Hee-chan, who momentarily penetrated into the penalty box, received a pass from teammate Totti Gomes. Hwang Hee-chan caught the ball in front of the goal but did not shoot right away. Instead he curled the ball once and completely stripped the Newcastle defender. He then calmly fired a shot that hit the net. Newcastle Nick Pope, who is considered a league-level goalkeeper, was also stuck. The British local commentator also shouted and expressed admiration for Hwang Hee-chan’s fantastic goal. He is also nominated for Goal of the Month and is aiming to win the award.
Thanks to this, Wolverhampton recorded a 2-2 draw against a difficult opponent, Newcastle, and earned one precious point. This season, Wolverhampton has 3 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses, and 12 points, ranking 12th in the league. Last season, Wolverhampton scored the fewest goals among the 20 teams in the league. However, the offense has changed this season. He scored 13 goals in 10 games and ranked 10th in team scoring.
The role of Hwang Hee-chan, who set a new record for the most goals by an individual in the EPL in a season, was important. Hwang Hee-chan scored his 6th goal of the season against Newcastle. He has already surpassed his own record for most EPL goals in a season. Hwang Hee-chan set the record for the most goals by scoring 5 goals in the 2021-2022 season, which was his first season in the EPL. Last season, he only scored three goals due to frequent hamstring injuries, but he is flying high after regaining his normal condition this season. At the time of the goal against Newcastle, British media 90MIN and statistical media Squawka highlighted that “Hwang Hee-chan scored 6 goals, the most by an individual in the EPL in a season.”
Hwang Hee-chan makes a surprising challenge to become the top scorer. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring. He stood shoulder to shoulder with West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen, Brentford striker Brian Mbomo, and Newcastle striker Aleksandar Isak. The gap with 3rd place Newcastle Callum Wilson (7 goals) is not large. In addition, Tottenham striker Son Heung-min (8 goals), a ‘national team senior’ who ranked second in scoring, Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah (8 goals), and leading scorer ‘monster’ Erling Haaland (11 goals, Manchester City) are also in pursuit.
Hwang Hee-chan’s goal against Newcastle was even more meaningful in that he made up for his own mistakes. Before scoring the equalizer, Hwang Hee-chan committed a penalty kick foul in extra time of the first half. I tried to dribble inside the Wolverhampton penalty box, but the ball touched for a long time. At that moment, while trying to follow the ball, he touched Newcastle’s Fabian Shea and a foul was called. The referee immediately awarded a penalty kick. For Newcastle, Wilson took the penalty kick and scored a goal. Despite the disappointing moment, Hwang Hee-chan made up for his mistake by scoring the equalizer in the 26th minute of the second half.
According to TNT Sports, Hwang Hee-chan said after the game, “I wanted to do something for the team after the penalty kick. In the end, I did it. I’m so happy to score a goal.”
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min’s teammate, England Tottenham defender Christian Romero, was nominated for October Player of the Month.
On this day, the EPL Secretariat revealed six candidates for Player of the Month for October. Along with Romero, Douglas Lewis (Aston Villa), Brian Mbomo (Brentford), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton), Declan Rice (Arsenal) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) were included.
Argentine center back Romero is the only defender among the six candidates. He showed off his impeccable defense in three games played in October. He only had two scoreless games. He led the team to a 1-0 away win against Luton Town on October 7 and a 2-0 win at home against Fulham on October 24. In particular, his performance against Luton Town stood out. At that time, Romero recorded a whopping 12 kicks. He also had three tackles and interceptions each. He also won five aerial duels. The pass success rate was 90%.
Although he failed to score a goal against Crystal Palace on October 28, he contributed to the team’s 2-1 win. Romero showed off fantastic chemistry with his ‘partner’ Mickey van der Ven. He played a focused defense, recording 4 kicks, 1 tackle, 1 interception, and 1 aerial duel winner. The pass success rate was also high at 93%. Based on these performances, Romero earned a spot as a candidate for October Player of the Month. ‘Captain’ Son Heung-min also sent a congratulatory message. On this day, Son Heung-min shared a photo of Romero on his social media and praised him as an “amazing player.”
If Romero wins October’s Player of the Month award, Tottenham will produce the winner for the third consecutive month. Last August, Tottenham midfielder James Maddison earned Player of the Month honors. In September, Son Heung-min was selected. Romero, who was nominated in October, will challenge for this award. Coincidentally, these three players are also serving as Tottenham’s captains and leading the team. Prior to this season, Son Heung-min was appointed as the new captain, and Romero and Maddison were appointed as vice-captains.
Maddison, who wore a Tottenham uniform last summer, scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games in August. He had a strong transfer debut, registering two assists in the league opener against Brentford. He even scored his debut goal in the away game against Bournemouth in the third round of the league. Maddison, who is also a member of the England national team, played for Leicester City (England) until last season. However, Leicester City was relegated to the second division, and Maddison chose to transfer to Tottenham to take on a new challenge.
Maddison was Tottenham’s ‘No. 2’ recruit last summer. Tottenham and Maddison signed a five-year contract. His contract expires in 2028. According to 90MIN, a British soccer media outlet, Maddison’s transfer fee could rise to 45 million pounds (about 75 billion won) if all options are met. For his part, Tottenham spent a lot of money. He was a much-needed recruit. Tottenham has been suffering from the absence of a playmaker since Christian Eriksen left Manchester United, unable to find a replacement. The problem was solved by recruiting Madison.
Son Heung-min was the Player of the Month in September. He scored a whopping 6 goals in 4 games played in the month of September. Following his hat-trick against Burn Region in the last 4th round, he also scored multiple goals against ‘North London rival’ Arsenal. Tottenham also drew 2-2 in a difficult away game against Arsenal. Son Heung-min also scored a goal against Liverpool, a ‘champion candidate’, leading the team to a 2-1 victory.
However, Son Heung-min was not selected as a candidate for October Player of the Month. Son Heung-min recorded 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games in October. He scored 1 goal and 1 assist in the 9th round Fulham match on the 24th of last month. In the 10th round match against Crystal Palace, which the team won 2-1, he was responsible for scoring the key goal in the 21st minute of the second half. There was only one effective shot, but Son Heung-min did not miss this chance.
Son Heung-min failed to score any offensive points in the away game against Luton Town on October 7. However, despite the opponent’s intensive control, he threatened the opponent’s goal with three shots. He also recorded a pass success rate of 90% and two key passes.
Thanks to Son Heung-min’s performance, Tottenham completely filled the void left by world-class Harry Kane, who left the team. Kane, who was a Tottenham striker, moved to Bayern Munich (Germany) last summer. Coach Postekoglou did not recruit a new striker, but instead moved Son Heung-min from the side to the center to take his place. It really hit the jackpot. Son Heung-min has been on a goal storm all season. Britain’s The Hard Tackle praised, “One of Coach Postekoglou’s key changes is Son Heung-min, who took on the role of front-line striker. He answered the question about replacing Kane by appointing Son Heung-min in that position.”
The five other candidates competing with Romero also performed tremendously in October. First, Aston Villa midfielder Lewis scored 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games. He had a brilliant performance scoring 2 goals in the 9th round match against West Ham. He also provided 1 assist in the 10th round match against Luton Town. Aston Villa is a dark horse threatening the Big 4 spot. Things have changed drastically since ‘master’ coach Unai Emery took over in the middle of last season. This season, they recorded 7 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, and 22 points and are ranked 5th in the league. Brazilian midfielder Luis plays a key role.
Brentford striker Mbomo has scored two goals and provided two assists in four games. In the 9th round match against Burnley, he scored 1 goal and 1 assist, leading to a 3-0 victory. In the 10th round, he made a big contribution in defeating Chelsea. In this game as well, Mbomo played an active role with 1 goal and 1 assist. Brentford’s key striker Ivan Toni is out for a long period of time due to punishment for illegal gambling, but the gap does not seem to be large. Cameroon striker Mbomo is leading the team’s attack line with good performance.
‘Hwang Hee-chan’s partner’ Wolverhampton ace Neto recorded 3 assists in 3 games in October. Hwang Hee-chan and Neto are the two main characters who lifted Wolverhampton’s attack from a slump. While striker Hwang Hee-chan is responsible for scoring, winger Neto is providing opportunities with fantastic passes. Neto, a Portuguese national, recorded one goal and seven assists in 10 league games this season. Ranked first in the league in assists. There are already rumors of Neto transferring to big clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Starting in January, Wolverhampton must make every effort to protect Neto.
Arsenal midfielder Rice scored one goal and one assist in three games in October. In particular, in the ‘London derby’ held against Chelsea on October 22, he scored a valuable chasing goal in the 32nd minute of the second half. Thanks to this, Arsenal improved the game they were losing 0-2 to 2-2 and won 1 point. This season, Arsenal is on an undefeated streak of 10 games with 7 wins, 3 draws (24 points). Among the 20 teams in the league, they have never lost along with Tottenham. Rice’s role was important.
Liverpool striker Salah scored five goals in three games. He scored multiple goals against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 7th round, 2 goals against ‘biggest rival’ Everton, and a goal against Nottingham Forest in the 9th round, contributing to the team’s 3-0 victory. Based on attack points alone, Salah has the highest chance of winning the October Player of the Month award. 90MIN praised Salah, saying, “Salah has scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists in the league this season, proving that he is still in his prime. He is having a truly amazing season.”
Candidate for October Manager of the Month. From top left to right: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, Tottenham manager Anze Postekoglou, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. /Photo=Premier League homepage
Coach Postekoglou, who leads Tottenham, is attempting to win the Premier League Manager of the Month title for the third time in a row. After winning Coach of the Month honors in August and September, Coach Postekoglou was also nominated for Coach of the Month in October. He also has a high chance of winning.
Coach Postekoglou is competing for the nomination along with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. However, among these four coaches, Postekoglou is the only one to win all three games in October. The Premier League Secretariat praised, “Coach Postekoglou is the only manager to win all of his matches in October. He aims to win the award three times in a row. This is a record that no other manager in his early career in the Premier League has achieved.”
Coach Postekoglou took charge of Tottenham last summer after achieving a domestic treble (League, League Cup, FA Cup) with his former team, Celtic (Scotland). He previously built his coaching career mainly in Asia, including in Japan’s J-League and the Australian national team, rather than in Europe.
Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was named as a candidate for October’s saver of the month.