Tottenham Hotspur are an attacking side under their new manager Ange Postecoglou. The manager has brought a new revolution into the team. They play a high attacking line and are getting the results. Harry Kane’s departure in the summer was a huge setback. However, Spurs forgot everything and focused on continuing without their all-time top goal-scorer.
The North London club has a couple of striking options. Brazil’s No. 9 Richarlison joined Tottenham Hotspur from Everton in 2022. He is a top-quality player but has shown a bit of struggle. In his first season at Tottenham Hotspur, Richarlison only scored one goal in the Premier League and three in 36 appearances across all competitions.
This season, things were not going in Richarlison’s favour. He was struggling to score goals for a team that was finding goals from every possible position. Spurs were at the top of the table and Richarlison was stuck on one goal. After struggling in the first 3-4 months, Richarlison picked up his pace and started scoring goals. Let’s take a look at how the Brazilian is scoring regular goals for his side in recent games.
From one goal to double figures
Richarlison attempted 28 shots and only scored one goal. The Brazilian had six shots on target and his accuracy rate was below 25%. This means that Richarlison was struggling to hit the target in the first few games.
Against Newcastle United, the Brazilian netted a brace in December. From that match, he has scored nine goals in the last nine games. The 26-year-old has attempted 28 shots in the process and 15 shots were on target. By looking at the first shot map, we can observe that Richarlison failed to get into scoring positions around the six-yard box. Whenever he got into such positions then the shots missed the target. In the last nine games, he has improved a lot in that side of the game. Richarlison’s accuracy rate in the Premier League is 50% in the current season.
This visual contrasts a striker’s overall attacking contribution with their shooting prowess. Those in the top right quadrant are not only involved in attacking moves but also frequently take shots. The Brazilian is one of the best in the business for involving in attacks and shooting the ball.
Richarlison used to play wide in his initial days. He preferred to show his skills on the left flank and make cut-ins to get into goal-scoring position. The 26-year-old has three assists to his name in the current season. These came from just nine shot-assist chances.
Tottenham Hotspur’s No. 9 can also win free-kicks for his team. He is quick and often draws challenges from the opposition players. The Brazilian is fouled 1.5 times per 90 minutes.
Another strong area in his games is the ability to make some recoveries in the attacking half. Most of these have been counter-pressing and this is due to a high line played by Spurs.
Richarlison’s form is crucial for Spurs. They aim to make it to the UEFA Champions League next season. The Brazilian is three short of his best tally of 13 Premier League goals.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
