Richarlison will surely fear the worst after hearing news coming out of Tottenham
Tottenham scraped past Villarreal on Tuesday night to open their Champions League account despite some poor performances.
Tottenham beat Villarreal 1-0 thanks to an early blunder from Luiz Junior, who was in goal for the visitors.
Fans criticised Thomas Frank after Tottenham’s win for his use of new signing Xavi Simons, who was lucky to avoid a red card against Villarreal, according to Mark Clattenburg.
Michael Carrick praised Tottenham’s midfield after the match and Frank will hope his engine room can push them to victory against Brighton on Saturday.
Dominic Solanke returns to Tottenham training
One player who wasn’t given plaudits after Tottenham’s win over Villarreal was Richarlison, who had a quiet night.
As news now emerges of Dominic Solanke returning to training at Tottenham, Richarlison will surely be fearing the worst after his poor showing.
Solanke is unlikely to be fit for the match against Brighton on Saturday, but his arrival back to first-team training is a concern for Richarlison.
Richarlison was dispossessed nine times against Villarreal, creating no chances for his teammates and having no shots.
Frank has previously been quoted by the Camden New Journal as saying Richarlison is “exceptional,” but the Brazilian will have to up his game to stave off the returning Solanke.
Tottenham show forward line strength as Dominic Solanke returns
Alongside Solanke’s return also came Randal Kolo Muani’s Tottenham debut, coming on for the Brazilian against Villarreal.
Kolo Muani is one of Europe’s hottest striker prospects, and he played a key role in France’s World Cup final comeback against Argentina.
| Randal Kolo Muani 2024-25 | |
| Games | 26 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 2 |
| xG | 9.4 |
| Non-penalty xG | 7.8 |
Solanke scored nine goals in 27 Premier League appearances last season compared to Richarlison’s four in 15 and Kolo Muani’s 10 in 26 (across Ligue 1 and Serie A).
Richarlison will have to up his performance levels when Sours take on Brighton on Saturday, with Kolo Muani and Solanke both well placed to have the Brazilian axed from Frank’s first team picture.