Tottenham forward Richarlison returned against Arsenal after two months out
Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison was touted to leave White Hart Lane in the summer after two underwhelming seasons. However, he decided to stay and fight for his position.
New campaign but fortunes barely changed for the Brazilian international at Spurs. He missed the majority of the first part of the season with knee and hamstring issues. Persistent injury issues have further derailed his chances of becoming a starting XI regular under Ange Postecoglou.
Richarlison could only muster 88 minutes across five Premier League games during the first half of the campaign. The forward is yet to start a league game and his unavailability all this time saw club-record signing Dominic Solanke lead the Tottenham attack regularly.
The 27-year-old returned to the Spurs squad against Arsenal in midweek after more than two months on the sidelines. He was off the bench and made an impact across 12 minutes on the pitch, although it was not enough as Arsenal won 2-1 as well as the North London derby bragging rights.
In an interview with Football London journalist Alasdair Gold, Postecoglou revealed that the key is simply to help Richarlison maintain his fitness after returning from injury against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
“That’s a challenge. We’ve tried different ways, and Richy is trying different ways,” said Postecoglou. “We’ve been really careful in the way we’ve brought him back this time. He’s probably been ready to go for a couple of weeks. We’ve given him extra work. I thought he was really good when he came on the other night, you could see his quality, Postecoglou told Alasdair Gold.
“He is one of these guys that does lead by example, particularly when he plays. It’s great to have him back. With Richy, it’s about him gaining confidence in his body as well. We can do that in the next few weeks.
“He’ll certainly play a part in the Everton game. Hopefully get him some more minutes than the other night, because if we can keep him fit, I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a really important player for us. I’ve got no doubt about that. I know you mentioned the Everton game [the 2-2 draw when Richarlison scored twice last season], but when he played last year, that run of games, he was really good for us.
“I think he’s a really good fit for the way we play, in a couple of positions, centrally or out wide. If we can keep him fit between now and the end of the season, I’m sure he’s going to make an impact.”
Richarlison’s Tottenham career has been ravaged by injury problems and inconsistent performances. He arrived from Everton in 2022 amid a lot of fanfare, having netted 53 goals and supplied 13 assists in 152 games at Goodison Park. In his final year at Everton, the South American had netted 10 goals and bagged five assists in 30 Premier League games.
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For Spurs last season from October 2023 to March 2024, Richarlison had scored nine goals in as many Premier League games while leading the attack. This demonstrates his ability to impact games when he is fully fit and confident.
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On Sunday, the versatile forward returns to his former stomping ground. The Brazilian will be raring to make an impression like he did last season, where he netted a brace in the pulsating 2-2 draw at Goodison Park. Let’s hope Richarlison keeps himself fit and quickly gets back to speed after missing a lot of action.
