Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar: Use Betfair Build-Ups to back Solanke and Son to shoot on sight

• Much maligned Spurs backed to prove a point

• Postecoglou's S-force to lead the charge

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Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar
Thursday 13th March, 2026
Live on TNT Sports 3 (UK)

Link Ups - Solanke and Son to achieve 4 SOT combined

With their season circling the drain and their fans at the end of their tether, Spurs need a big performance this evening. Indeed, it's no exaggeration to state that this is their last opportunity to salvage something good from what has been a relentlessly underwhelming campaign.

They're out of both domestic cups. Their highest aspiration in the league is to avoid embarrassment and secure a mid-table finish.

Thankfully, Ange Postecoglou's team talk tonight should be relatively easy, simply insisting that his side are the polar opposite of who they were in Holland last week. Going down 1-0 to a perfectly ordinary AZ, the visitors were timid throughout, managing just a single shot on target, a meagre three taken inside the box.

A strong response then is needed, a strong response is demanded, and with that in mind we turn to Betfair's brilliant new Build Up tool, to back two Spurs players who have experienced mixed fortunes in 2024/25, but who rarely let you down on the shot front.

Player vs Player

English Premier League

Dominic Solanke

Spurs

English Premier League

Son Heung-Min

Spurs

Solanke Heung-Min

Appearances 27 30

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Goals 9 7

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Shots 60 57

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Shots on target 26 26

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Assists 3 9

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Chances created 14 50

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Passes 353 833

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Fouls 36 6

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Fouls won 36 28

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Yellow cards 0 1

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Red cards 0 0

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With Solanke's season blighted by injury, and Son's output a whole level below what he has repeatedly shown he is capable of, it's actually impressive that each forward has posted the numbers they have.

Solanke has averaged 2.5 shots per 90 and Son 2 per 90. The latter's shot accuracy has been a respectable 49%, the England star is down on that with 44%.

Moreover, it is a consistency that has persisted up to the present. Last weekend, Solanke took on one shot on target against Bournemouth, with another effort going astray. Last week, amidst an all-round poor team performance, Son racked up nearly half of his side's shot-count.

Crucially, the heat map illustrates that the Korean rarely drifted inside that evening, a run that has been pivotal to his career success. Instead he remained out wide, at times hugging the left touchline.

He will need to be a lot more involved this evening, and furthermore he is likely to be.

What makes this bet so convincing is context, along with Alkmaar's terrible away form in this competition. Granted, the Dutch side have done superbly well to reach the last 16 but they have yet to win on the road in the Europa League, shipping in 2.2 goals per 90 in the process.

One of those defeats was at Spurs incidentally, in the league phase.

As for context, that involves Tottenham's desperate need to perform and to impress. We can expect two of their most experienced heads to lead that charge.

Now read Jack Critchley's Championship tips for this Saturday's second-tier games