The Tottenham Hotspur player blocked Son Heung-min’s path just as the midfielder came through on goal, prompting James Maddison to jokingly say that he will be unable to look at Son Heung-min for a long.
After Spurs defeated Fulham 2-0 on Monday to retake the lead in the Premier League standings, Maddison spoke to BBC Sport.
James Maddison and Son Heung-min both succeeded in scoring. It was a momentous goal for Maddison because it was his first for his new team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He will, however, undoubtedly feel that he ought to have purchased a brace. At one point, Maddison raced into the box and appeared to be aiming for Bernd Leno.
James Maddison jokes he cannot look at Son Heung-min after Tottenham win
However, there was obviously a miscommunication at the critical time. Son approached Madison near enough that it was obvious he believed he would get the shot. The 26-year-old was therefore out of step by the time he launched his strike.
In the immediate aftermath, Maddison’s irritation was impossible to conceal. Son, in contrast, appeared almost perplexed. The former Leicester City player also said that his £22 million teammate needed some time to settle down.
“He got in my way; we didn’t get in each other’s way! I haven’t spoken to him, and right now I can’t look at him,” he said, according to BBC Sport.
Tomorrow, I’ll talk to him. He was facing the wrong direction, but even he can make a mistake. I was right in front of the goal.
Understanding building, but not quite telepathic…yet
The good news is that Tottenham was not negatively impacted. But it’s obvious that Maddison would have preferred to add an exclamation point to the triumph at that time.
For Spurs, there were undoubtedly more goals scored. That was arguably obvious when Son appeared immensely sad to be replaced prior to the end of the half.
There will be lots of chances for both Maddison and Son to increase their goal totals over the season given the understanding that the two are developing.
But perhaps that particular instance made clear that they still have some work to do before their comprehension is fully telepathic.
