Three Tottenham players who face axe vs Everton, one lost seven duels vs Monaco
Tottenham were fortunate to come away from Monaco with a 0-0 draw as they were peppered in the Champions League.
The Lilywhites remain undefeated in Europe this season yet were completely off the pace against the dominant Ligue 1 outfit.
Prior to the match, former Spurs and Man United senior scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Thomas Frank needs to resolve Tottenham’s inconsistency quickly.
The lucky draw against Monaco has highlighted that issue once again as three players look set to lose their starting spot against Everton on 26 October.
Lucas Bergvall fails to take advantage of start over Xavi Simons
Football Insider tipped Tottenham to start Lucas Bergvall over Xavi Simons in the Champions League after his dismal display against Aston Villa on 19 October.
However, the Swede was a ghost for the Lilywhites against Monaco, only managing to complete six of his seven passes in 60 minutes.
Moreover, the 19-year-old allowed the opposition to run past him with season and was dribbled past twice as well as two errors leading to shots from Monaco.
The opportunity handed to him by Frank was thrown back in the manager’s face as he still looks to find his perfect midfield trio ahead of the Everton clash.
Joao Palhinha was run ragged against Monaco
Continuing with the theme of underperforming midfielders, Joao Palhinha had an exhausting game under the European lights.
From a defensive perspective, the Portuguese was as busy as ever, racking up five recoveries, three clearances and one interception.
However, the Bayern Munich loanee won just six of his 13 duels during the tie, landing just one of his four tackles as well.
Evidently, the defensive-midfielder was pulled from side to side for the Lilywhites with Rodrigo Bentancur doing little to help his teammate out.
| Selected stats vs Monaco (22 October) | Joao Palhinha |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Duels (won) | 13 (6) |
| Tackles (won) | 4 (1) |
| Possession lost | 9 |
| Dribbled past | 4 |
Palhinha was dribbled past on four occasions which frequently led to chances on goal for Monaco which Guglielmo Vicario miraculously saved.
The 30-year-old’s stats indicate a player who is incapable of playing twice a week and will likely force Frank into refreshing his midfield against the Toffees.
Richarlison anonymous as Randal Kolo Muani back to full fitness for Tottenham
Benched in Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Villa, the Brazilian was swiftly recalled to the starting XI for the Champions League.
Yet, Richarlison struggled against Monaco, successfully touching the ball just 15 times in 70 minutes.
The forward’s heat map, as demonstrated by Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, highlights his complete inactivity up top for the Lilywhites.
Mustering only one shot during the game, he was replaced by PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani who has now featured off the bench in two successive matches.
This does not bode well for Richarlison who could very well be dropped by Frank against his former side on the weekend, following a lacklustre performance in Europe and the increasing fitness of the Frenchman.