Son Heung-min Becomes First Asian to Win EPL Golden Boot Award

22nd and 23rd Goals in Norwich City Match... Shoulder to Shoulder with Salah

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur became the first Asian to win the top scorer title in the English Premier League (EPL). On the 23rd (Korean time), he started in the final 38th round of the 2021-2022 EPL season against Norwich City at Carrow Road in Norwich, UK, scoring his 22nd and 23rd goals consecutively.

Son Heung-min scored with an assist from Lucas Moura in the 25th minute of the second half when Tottenham was leading 3-0. Then, in the 30th minute of the second half, he added another goal with a right-footed curling shot from the left side of the penalty arc, a high accuracy area.

With his season tally increased to 23 goals, Son Heung-min became joint top scorer along with Mohamed Salah, who also scored in the final match against Wolverhampton that day. The EPL does not consider other records such as playing time when goal counts are tied. They recognize joint top scorers.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Son Heung-min is the first Asian to become top scorer not only in England but also in the five major leagues including Spain, Germany, Italy, and France. Although Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord) scored 21 goals to become top scorer in the 2017-2018 Dutch Eredivisie season, the Dutch league is not classified as a big league.

Tottenham won 5-0, powered by Son Heung-min's two goals. They held off Arsenal (69 points; 22 wins, 3 draws, 13 losses) to secure 4th place (71 points; 22 wins, 5 draws, 11 losses) and will participate in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage next season. This is their first achievement in three seasons since the 2018-2019 season.