Tottenham star named in Team of the Week by Alan Shearer after ‘crucial’ moment vs Brighton
Tottenham showed their resilience on Saturday as they battled back to snatch a 2-2 draw away at Brighton.
The Lilywhites found themselves facing a two-goal deficit just after the 30-minute mark of the clash at the Amex Stadium, but they were able to fight their way back and continue their bright start in the Premier League.
Thomas Frank has transformed Tottenham as a team since his appointment, and their comeback on Saturday was yet more evidence of the positive changes that he has instilled.
There is plenty of positivity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the moment, and one particular star has now received individual recognition.
Alan Shearer praises Richarlison after goal vs Brighton
Richarlison has found a new lease of life at Tottenham since Frank has taken the reins, and he found the back of the net once again in Saturday’s draw.
The Brazilian reacted instinctively to control Mohammed Kudus’ shot on the stroke of half-time and force it over the line to halve the hosts’ advantage.
The former Everton star now has three Premier League goals to his name so far this season, meaning he is now just one strike away from matching his tally for the entirety of 2024/25.
- Richarlison already has four goal contributions from the opening five league games
- He has never notched more than 15 league goal involvements in a season for Spurs
Richarlison’s vital intervention at the weekend set the Lilywhites on track to complete their comeback, and the result could have ultimately been very different had he not been able to give them a foothold in the game.
The frontman’s contributions have now been recognised by Alan Shearer, who selected the Spurs man in his Premier League Team of the Week.
The ex-Newcastle hero selected Richarlison as one of three forwards in his XI, and praised him for being a “constant thorn in the side of Brighton’s defence,” as also for scoring a “crucial goal” to help turn the game around.
Richarlison is outperforming Erling Haaland at Tottenham
Richarlison’s impressive start to the campaign for Tottenham has gone largely under the radar in recent weeks.
| Player | xG (Excluding Pens) | Goals (Excluding Pens) | Over/Under Performance |
| Richarlison | 1.64 | 3 | +1.36 |
| Hugo Ekitike | 1.78 | 3 | +1.22 |
| Jaidon Anthony | 2.06 | 3 | +0.94 |
| Iliman Ndiaye | 1.30 | 2 | +0.70 |
| Viktor Gyokeres | 1.34 | 2 | +0.66 |
However, the Brazilian is currently outperforming every single Premier League player when it comes to the quality of his finishing and his clinical instincts in front of goal.
He is outperforming his xG by an impressive 1.36, and leads the way from Hugo Ekitike across the entire league when it comes to xG overperformance.
By contrast, Manchester City star Erling Haaland is actually underperforming his xG after the opening five games.
Richarlison has often come in for criticism since his move to N17, but at the moment, he is making the doubters eat their words.
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