Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou handed boost ahead of West Ham clash as Richarlison update emerges
Tottenham returned from the international break with a workmanlike 2-1 win over Luton Town, but attention has quickly turned to West Ham United.
Ange Postecoglou’s side face a quick turnaround as they travel to the London Stadium on Tuesday (2 April) knowing that a win could see Spurs leapfrog Aston Villa, if only for 24 hours, and jump into the top four.
While the Spurs boss will be reluctant to tinker too much with the squad that claimed all three points against the Hatters, he could be set to recall Richarlison to his starting XI after his latest update about the Brazilian’s fitness.
As quoted by Football London on Monday (1 April) he said: “Yeah, yeah, he was much better after the game and he felt a lot better. He trained yesterday and he’ll train this afternoon. He feels good now.”
Will Richarlison start for Tottenham against West Ham United?
Richarlison’s last full 90 minutes before his injury came back in February in Spurs’ 2-1 win over Brighton and the 26-year-old led the line excellently to give Postecoglou a different dimension going forward.
In that clash, no player completed more dribbles than the Brazilian’s three across the 90 minutes as he ran through the Seagull’s backline with relative ease, only losing possession twice in the game, according to Fotmob.
The striker only completed 62 per cent of his 24 attempted passes, but he made sure to carry a creative threat with those efforts as he registered an xA of 0.12 and created two goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Richarlison provides a presence in the penalty area that very few players in the Premier League can manage. Against Brighton, eight of his 41 touches came in the opposition’s penalty area as he consistently found space in the box.
When compared to other forwards in England’s top flight, the Spurs striker places in the 93rd percentile for touches in the opposition’s penalty area per 90 minutes, with an average of 7.33 a game, according to Fbref.
His work rate off of the ball is crucial to Postecoglou’s high-pressing style of football as well as he gets more than stuck in out of possession. In his last full game, the Brazilian won five of his eight ground duels and 67 per cent of his aerial battles whilst also winning two free kicks.
In comparison to his positional peers in the Premier League, Richarlison places in the top one per cent of players for blocks made per 90 minutes. His energy in the frontline makes Tottenham tick and win the ball back.
Against Everton in February, the Brazilian not only managed to score twice but won 100 per cent of his tackles whilst entering 20 duels in the air and on the ground. Against West Ham’s low block, his battling presence at the top end of the pitch is a must.
Can Ange Postecoglou qualify for the Champions League this season?
While Postecoglou has several attacking options at his disposal and Brennan Johnson may also be in line for a start, it feels as though Richarlison would be the perfect fit for Tuesday’s match given his displays so far this season.
David Moyes’ side have a physical backline and the Brazilian’s dogged style partnered with his pace in behind could torment the likes of Kurt Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos, especially after they conceded four goals against Newcastle last time out.
It is a huge boost for Spurs that the striker managed to get through his cameo against Luton without picking up a new knock.
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