Ex-Arsenal star baffled by off-the-ball Richarlison incident in Tottenham loss vs Newcastle
Tottenham were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday as they were beaten 2-0 away at Newcastle.
The Lilywhites produced an excellent performance to win 3-0 away at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, but they lost their unbeaten away record this time around, as goals from Fabiam Schar and Nick Woltemade settled the tie.
Lucas Bergvall was brilliant for Tottenham during the defeat, but he could do little to prevent Eddie Howe’s men from running out as winners at St James’ Park and booking their place in the next round.
Thomas Frank recalled Richarlison to the starting XI to lead the line in the North East, and the Brazilian had a typically eventful night throughout the 90 minutes.
Alan Smith can’t believe Richarlison complaints after Fabian Schar goal
Richarlison is being tipped to depart Tottenham in the January transfer window, but for now, the striker has been a key part of Frank’s plans in recent weeks.
However, he was largely ineffective against Newcastle on Wednesday, as the Magpies marshalled him well from start to finish.
Games involving the 28-year-old rarely pass without incident, and his actions came under scrutiny once again when he vociferously protested to referee Chris Kavanagh after Schar nodded home from a corner to put the hosts in front in the 24th minute.
Richarlison was unhappy at Kavanagh’s decision not to allow Djed Spence to get back into position, after initially delaying the corner to allow the defender to tie his lace.
The striker was eventually shown a yellow card for his trouble, and ex-Arsenal forward Alan Smith was left baffled as to why he was complaining so strongly.
“There was no challenge, nobody attacking the ball, it’s so soft from Spurs’ point of view, it’s a gift for Newcastle,” Smith said during Sky Sports’ coverage of the game.
“Richarlison was complaining to the ref bitterly afterwards, and I’m not sure what they were complaining about. He went on at the ref for quite some time during the celebrations, but I’m not quite sure what the grief is all about.”
Richarlison’s antics are tiresome at Tottenham
Richarlison is never far from controversy at Tottenham, and he is clearly a player who wears his heart on his sleeve during games.
However, his hot-headed moments of madness are quickly becoming tiresome, given that they arise from very little most of the time.
The former Everton frontman has shown his lack of consistency yet again of late, as his form has dipped after a bright start to the campaign, and Wednesday’s incident likely stemmed from his frustration with himself as much as anything.
He hasn’t delivered the goods since he arrived in North London, and January is surely the perfect time for Spurs to cut him adrift and send him elsewhere.
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