Tottenham has had several decent campaigns in recent seasons, but they failed to win a title in almost 15 years. However, they kept their consistency throughout all these years relying on great players like Kyle Walker, Luka Modric, Christian Eriksen, and Gareth Bale. Unfortunately, they parted ways with all of them before they reached their peak.
The Spurs managed to keep some of their gems in the squad with Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-Min, Ben Davies, and Eric Dier having already played several seasons at White Hart Lane and later on at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Even though they have a fantastic duo up front with Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane topping the table for goals and assists in recent years, the team struggles to achieve something extraordinary.
At the moment, the Spurs sit in 4th place in the English Premier League with 29 points from 15 games. According to Bovada’s soccer odds betting, their probability of making it to the UEFA Champions League lies at +110, which seems reasonable having in mind that Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea remain behind them in the standings.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has given some hope to their fans as there was one player who picked up his rhythm and potentially scored the goal of the tournament. Richarlison seized the spotlight scoring an incredible bicycle kick in his first appearance on the biggest stage of all against Serbia. His venture in Qatar might have ended with just 3 goals and a knock-out in the Quarter-Finals against Croatia, but he has surely lived up to the high expectations.
Performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Richarlison nearly missed the World Cup as he picked up a calf injury in Tottenham’s game against Everton in October. However, he received an official call-up for Brazil’s squad which includes incredible players, hence the internal competition is beyond fierce.
In his opening match, Richarlison scored both the first goal and a brace to seal the deal for Brazil against Serbia. He eventually won the Man of the Match award as his heroics couldn’t have gone unrecognizable.
Despite going scoreless against Switzerland, Richarlison has been a huge threat to Yann Sommer and the defenders in front of him. The 25-year-old Brazilian missed the closing game with Cameroon just to come back and score the third goal in his team’s 4-1 win over South Korea in the Round of 16.
And when everybody was seeing Selecao winning the trophy for the sixth time in their history, Brazil stumbled and suffered a tough loss on penalties against Croatia. Richarlison’s dream of winning the World Cup came to an end, but he will certainly bring the flare from Qatar to Tottenham.
Playing Style
Despite being criticized by many for keeping the ball in his feet for a long time, Richarlison is certainly a gem in the making. His ability to control the ball and dribble past several defenders seems quite extraordinary. Moreover, he has a decent pace that helps him create more spaces on the pitch which can easily result in more goal-scoring opportunities.
Richarlison is also known for his fantastic movement that allows him to find the perfect position inside the box. This is quite an undermined ability but in a combination with a solid shot power and great placement, it turns into something special.
Previous Achievements
Richarlison is not a one-season wonder as he constantly proves his worth. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the Brazilian striker led his nation to their second Olympic title. Despite not scoring in the Knockout Stage, his efforts during the three matches in the Group Stage were enough for him to win the Golden Boot as he also scored a hat trick in 30 minutes against Germany.
His mentality proved to be strong in the 2019 Copa America Final when he scored a 90-minute penalty against Peru to get the trophy for Brazil. Furthermore, Richarlison has scored 10+ goals in three of his five seasons in the Premier League wearing Everton’s jersey.
A Bright Future with a Huge Potential
Richarlison’s most recent performance showed us the full scope of his capabilities. He can certainly give the much-needed flare in front positions for the Spurs as Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min are nearing the end of their prime. With more and more players getting close to retirement age, the team will have to start thinking about rebuilding the entire squad.
One option would be to trust Richarlison and build the team around him. However, he will have to transfer his World Cup performance to the Premier League in order to gain the trust of both the coach and the management.