Tottenham Hotspur are finally back in action in the Premier League this afternoon as they prepare to host rivals Arsenal in the North London derby.
Spurs have not had a game since their 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James' Park on the 13th of April, and now have a chance to come back with a bang in a huge clash against the Gunners.
Ange Postecoglou's team are seven points adrift of the Champions League places after Aston Villa's 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday night, which makes three points against Arsenal all the more valuable.
The Lilywhites will also want to avenge their disappointing defeat on Tyneside and the head coach could look to make some changes to the starting XI in order to facilitate a strong response from his team.
Richarlison, who has not featured since the 2nd of April against West Ham United, must finally be unleashed from the start after returning to training this week after a knee injury.
The Brazil international is fit enough to feature against the Gunners today and Timo Werner should be dropped for the striker to thrive alongside James Maddison in the final third, as the pair could bully William Saliba and Gabriel.
Timo Werner's performance against Newcastle in numbers
The RB Leipzig loanee lined up on the left flank at St. James' Park and should now be ditched, with captain Heung-min Son moving back to his more natural role on the wing, to make room for Richarlison to lead the line.
Werner, who has scored two goals in 12 Premier League appearances so far this season, endured a difficult afternoon on Tyneside with his wasteful finishing.
Minutes played
90
xG
0.49
Goals
0
Big chances missed
1
Shots
4
Dribbles completed
1/3
Duels won
2/7
As you can see in the table above, the Germany international's work in and out of possession left a lot to be desired for Postecoglou throughout the game.
Off the ball, Newcastle's players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical duels, as shown by his success in just two of his seven battles.
Werner, however, did not make up for being a lightweight out of possession by providing quality play in the final third. He missed the one 'big chance' that fell his way and failed to find the back of the net with any of his four efforts on goal.
Why Richarlison should be unleashed
Richarlison should now be unleashed from the start against the Gunners as he has the quality to make a big impact in front of goal, based on his form so far this season.
After a dreadful return of one goal from an xG (Expected Goals) of 3.32 in 27 league matches during his first season with Spurs during the 2022/23 campaign, the ex-Everton star has enjoyed a superb time with the club this time around.
The 26-year-old marksman has showcased his lethal nature in the box with ten goals from an xG of 8.84, which shows that he has more than made the most of the opportunities that his teammates have provided him with.
His tally of ten goals from 17 league starts for the Lilywhites means that the ex-Watford ace has averaged a goal every 1.7 starts on average this term.
Richarlison, who has missed seven 'big chances' in the Premier League this season, has also created two 'big chances' and registered three assists for his fellow attackers.
The £90k-per-week forward, whose running was once hailed as "relentless" by journalist Joe Strange, has the ability to make a difference in the Premier League as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs.
In fact, he currently ranks within the top 9% of forwards in the top-flight for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.66) and the top 29% for assists per 90 (0.20).
This shows that the right-footed whiz has been one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League, as he has been prolific from open play and above average as a creator for his teammates.
Richarlison will, however, need high-quality service to allow him to punish Arsenal and that is why Maddison playing in the number ten position behind him is paramount to the success of unleashing the Brazilian.
Why Richarlison and Maddison could bully Gabriel and Saliba
There is no getting away from the fact that the Gunners have the best defence in the division. They have only conceded 26 league goals so far this season – six fewer than any other side.
Gabriel and Saliba, Mikel Arteta's two first-choice centre-backs, have played a significant role in that impressive record, but Maddison has already punished them once already this term.
In the reverse fixture in September, the England international put on a creative masterclass to tear the Arsenal defence to shreds, assisting both of his team's goals in the 2-2 draw.
Sofascore rating
7.7
Touches
43
Key passes
3
Big chances created
2
Assists
2
Dribbles completed
2
Duels won
7/12
As you can see in the table above, Maddison had no issues creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates against the two exceptional centre-backs, as he teed up Son for two goals.
The former Leicester and Norwich star ranks within the top 9% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 (0.36), and the top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90 (6.89).
This, and his performance against Arsenal in September, suggests that the 27-year-old star has the creative ability to split Gabriel and Saliba apart to create opportunities for Richarlison to find the back of the net.
Then, the Brazil international's form in front of goal this season suggests that he has the quality to make the most of the chances that Maddison can create for him.
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His xG overperformance speaks to his fantastic finishing ability in the final third and that is why Postecoglou must unleash the pair this afternoon, as they could combine at the top end of the pitch to bully Gabriel and Saliba to secure a crucial result for Spurs in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
