Roberto De Zerbi must drop Joao Palhinha after ‘absolutely ridiculous’ Tottenham scenes vs Chelsea
Roberto De Zerbi can’t persist with Joao Palhinha in Tottenham Hotspur‘s midfield after the … against Chelsea.
The Portuguese star started the contest, as he has done in the last two matches, but he was not up to his usual solid standard.
Enzo Fernandez’s first-half strike was the difference between the sides, as the Lilywhites could not find a way back, and now could be relegated on the final day.
Palhinha’s night was summed up by scenes which left Jamie Carragher furious and highlighted the issues that Spurs have faced all season.
De Zerbi may well be minded to drop Palhinha after that, as he could not keep his composure when he needed him to.
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What left Carragher livid in Chelsea vs Tottenham
One particularly embarrassing Tottenham moment for Palhinha, when he fouled Josh Acheampong in the 31st minute of the contest.
Sky Sports commentator Carragher slammed him for getting caught up in the Stamford Bridge star’s antics and committing the foul.
Speaking on the live broadcast on 19 May (20:46pm), he said: “A man of his experience making a foul there is absolutely ridiculous.
“One of the most infuriating things in football, that, guy going absolutely nowhere and you give a foul away.”
Why Carragher was right to criticise Palhinha
Carragher was absolutely right to slam Palhinha for the scenes at the Bridge, as he said, a player of his experience should know better than to even get involved.
His general performance in the contest was poor, though, so it is not a surprise that he got frustrated and reacted.
He completed 96 per cent of his passes, and made four passes into the final third, but failed to create a chance for a teammate, per Fotmob.
| Palhinha’s stats vs Chelsea | |
| Pass accuracy | 96% |
| Chances created | 0 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Recoveries | 7 |
| Ground duels won | 3/8(38%) |
| Aerial duels won | 1/2(50%) |
Defensively, he made two tackles, two clearances, one interception and seven recoveries, but duels was where his showing was really telling.
He won just three of eight on the ground for a 38 per cent success rate, and won one of two in the air, for a 50 per cent success rate.
He also committed three fouls, which did not help his side to get up the pitch and make something happen, and it was telling that he only lasted 69 minutes.
Given that his future is uncertain anyway, with it not being guaranteed that Spurs will activate the buy option in his loan, it makes sense to drop him for the last game of the season with Everton, given what is at stake.
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