Pundit salutes Emerson Royal transformation after what he’s seen at Tottenham
Noel Whelan has suggested Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon have cemented their place as current first-choice options at Tottenham after their roles in the 4-1 win against Southampton.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, singled out Royal, 23, for praise – insisting he “looked like he had some extra pace” after a tough first campaign in England.
The Brazil international grabbed an assist as Tottenham recorded an opening day win over Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday (6 August).
Meanwhile, Sessegnon, 22, scored a first-half header to get Spurs back on terms after falling behind to a James Ward-Prowse strike early on.
Antonio Conte has moved quickly in the transfer market to pile pressure on the wing-backs, drafting in veteran Ivan Perisic and impressive youngster Djed Spence.
However, Whelan insisted there will be “no need to look anywhere else” if Royal and Sessegnon can maintain their opening day form.
“I thought Royal and Sessegnon looked really lively,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“Royal, for me, looked like he had some extra pace, he looked sharp and quick.
“And then Sessegnon was the pick of the full-backs last season, who I thought should have been getting that regular game time.
“I think Conte is starting to trust him. That’s where you want to see him when the ball is on the other side – in that box, ready to attack the ball.
“It’s a great start for the pair of them. If they can carry on that consistency – then there’s no need for Conte to look anywhere else.
“It was inconsistent last season but they’ve both had a pre-season under the manager now, so they could have a better understanding of what he truly wants from them.”
In other news, pundit issues “huge” Son Heung-min verdict after what he’s spotted at Tottenham.