Spurs: Ange must now finally unleash ‘relentless’ £34m-rated star

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action today and face arguably one of the toughest tests of the campaign with a trip to arch-rivals Arsenal to play the hotly-anticipated north London Derby.

With both sides enjoying a start to the season to be proud of, perhaps starting Richarlison could be the catalyst that helps Ange Postecoglou expose Mikel Arteta’s backline.

Will Richarlison play vs Arsenal?
It is fair to say that the Gunners have hardly been tested in their opening fixtures, having amassed four wins and one draw from five league performances where they admittedly struggled to dominate.

It seems that with a little bit of pressure and front-foot energy, the Lilywhites could certainly threaten the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. Therefore, the Brazilian striker marks the outstanding option to do so.

Despite his troubles in front of goal, which saw him score just once in the whole of last season, his goal and assist off the bench to instigate a late win last weekend will be fresh in the memory, as he marks a forward finally in form again.

Not to mention that Postecoglou has lauded him in the past for his work rate: “He works hard for the team and a lot of what he does, does not get seen. His pressing, his runs. Sometimes he does not get the ball but he is always making those runs and he is a constant nuisance for defenders. I have said before that I really like Richy.”

Against Everton, their north London rivals strolled to success as the Toffees were happy to sit back and allow them near-unlimited possession. Spurs cannot afford to do that, and with the unbridled effort that Richarlison boasts, perhaps he could expose Saliba in particular, who has drawn huge praise for his ability on the ball.

After all, teammate Aaron Ramsdale described the Frenchman as a “Rolls-Royce” in possession, whilst writer Joe Strange sought to emphasise the “relentless” Richarlison. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

Who could Richarlison replace?
Whilst it may seem harsh to drop any of their attackers given they have all contributed to scoring 13 goals in just five league games, someone must give way to accommodate the £34m-rated forward whose main trait is his work ethic.

On a day like today, where Arteta will seek to exercise complete control in front of their home crowd, someone like Richarlison is built for crashing the party.

Fortunately, Manor Solomon remains someone likely willing to take a back seat to accommodate such changes, given he was employed over the summer on a shrewd free transfer.

This could facilitate the return of Heung-min Son to his natural left wing position before the former Watford striker assumes the number nine role.

Spurs’ Last Five NLD Results

Result

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal (15/01/23)

0-2 L

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur (01/10/22)

3-1 L

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal (12/05/22)

3-0 W

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur (26/09/21)

3-1 L

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur (14/03/21)

2-1 L

What gives further credence to the suggestion that he could expose Saliba is that, whilst starring for the Merseyside club, he often popped up with goals in their derby despite the gulf in quality being far loftier than the one between his current side and Arsenal.

He boasts three goals and one assist against Liverpool, with one strike even ending their Anfield hoodoo to win their first game at the ground since 1999. It’s safe to say he is a man for the big occasion.

Richarlison will forever be a disruptive influence on the opposition, with today set to be his most important opportunity to continue his resurgence and prove everyone else wron.

Callum is a freelance writer for Football FanCast, having worked in the football industry ever since graduation.

Having left University in 2022, Callum was instantly offered a place within Football FanCast’s academy process, where he was handed a role as part of the freelance opinions team. This has been his role ever since.

Since then, Callum also took on a role cultivating content for the website’s Facebook account too, helping to bolster the reach of Football FanCast.

Callum is a huge Everton fan and has written and featured on numerous fan sites talking about the club.