Tottenham winger Bryan Gil deserves rare start v Brighton after Richarlison update
Tottenham forward Bryan Gil could be handed a rare start by Ange Postecoglou against Brighton on Thursday 28 December.
Gil has started just two Premier League games under the Australian so far, but a series of injuries and suspensions might have played right into the hands of the Spaniard.
Christmas time is traditionally a busy period in the Premier League’s calendar, and with that in mind, rotation is usually key for managers as they look to navigate through a crowded festive schedule.
Tottenham currently find themselves in the middle of a run which sees them play three league matches in just eight days, and with Postecoglou’s squad already relatively thin, some out-of-favour stars could find themselves in the frame, including Gil.
Spurs played the first of their three matches in eight days on Saturday 23 December, beating an in-form Everton side 2-1 at home, and now face a tricky trip to the south coast to take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium, before returning home for a New Year’s Eve showdown with high-flying Bournemouth in north London.
While they picked up all three points against the Toffees, the afternoon was far from plain sailing, as Postecoglou was handed two more injury concerns.
Cristian Romero was substituted at half-time after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, while Richarlison made way for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the 63rd minute.
The Brazillian has finally found his feet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, scoring four goals in his last three games, but could see that progress derailed by his latest injury concern.
Speaking after the match, Postecoglou was asked about his number nine, telling the press (Evening Standard, 26 December): “Yeah he’s okay, he kind of had a sore back yesterday [Friday] in training. He wasn’t 100 per cent, but he was keen to start today.
“He got through the game, pleasing for him that he took his goal well and worked hard for us, but I kind of knew that at some point I’d have to take him off. But I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
While the injury might not be a “serious” concern, the 58-year-old could choose to manage his striker’s minutes to avoid any further damage to a player he cannot afford to lose at this moment in time.
Dejan Kulusevski has established himself in the number 10 role, with Brennan Johnson expected to start on the right-hand side of a front three, and should Richarlison be rested, Son Heung-min would likely start up top.
This would leave the left-wing position open, and could therefore lead to Gil starting for the first time since the 3-3 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 3 December.
Having shown very little since his arrival at the club, any run in the team that he is offered now could prove to be his final chance to show Postecoglou what he can do, especially with January just around the corner.
He struggled in his last start against City and was consequently taken off at half-time. Throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch the 22-year-old completed just 79 per cent of his passes, failed with his one dribble attempt, gave the ball away six times and lost his one ground duel (Sofascore).
Gil often found himself picking up positive positions but couldn’t make any meaningful impact when in those positions.
In the image above, Son played the ball toward the former Sevilla man, who found himself one-on-one with Kyle Walker.
Although, as seen above, Walker got the better of Gil, dispossessing him as yet another promising Spurs attack broke down.
Before this, Gil started in the 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa on 26 November, and while the UEFA Europa League winner was slightly more effective on this occasion, it certainly wasn’t enough to prove he is a long-term solution at Tottenham.
Against the Villains, he completed 86 per cent of his passes, with one of those being key, and was successful with three of his four dribbles. However, he only managed to provide one successful cross into the box from the three which he attempted and gave possession away 13 times.
His Tottenham future is currently hanging in the balance, and the next time he takes to the pitch, Gill will need to show much more to prove he is worthy of a starting position under Postecoglou.
In other Tottenham news, the club could be boosted by one 97 per cent Brighton ace missing out when the two sides meet.