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Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action on Thursday night against London rivals West Ham United, having stemmed a three-match skid with a well-earned draw against Manchester City.
Ange Postecoglou had picked up all three Manager of the Month awards since the start of the season before injuries and suspensions laid waste to the stellar start, but there is plenty of cause for optimism.
In fifth place, Spurs were just two points behind high-flying Aston Villa before match-week 15 and will undoubtedly pick up form again after a testing period, but this has to start with the collection of three points against David Moyes’ side.
Tottenham team & injury news vs West Ham
Crucially, Cristian Romero returns after completing a three-match suspension, while dynamic midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is expected to be fit again after overcoming a hamstring injury.
Outcast Eric Dier is a doubt, while summer signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven remain sidelined until after the new year; Rodrigo Bentancur also faces a lengthy layoff after agonisingly sustaining a severe ankle injury against Aston Villa.
Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic also continue their long-term rehabilitation from issues sustained months ago, though Richarlison returned from the bench against the Citizens at the weekend, and could now be in line for a return to the starting line-up.
Richarlison must start over Bryan Gil
Make no mistake, Richarlison has improved this season after a terrible maiden year at Tottenham last season after completing a £60m transfer from Everton, but he still only yields two goals and three assists from 12 appearances this term.
The 48-cap Brazil international was described as a “fighter” by former Spurs director Fabio Paratici following his arrival, and he will certainly need to battle hard now to convince Postecoglou that he deserves a starring role in the squad. Considering Maddison is to return in the New Year, this could well be his final chance to prove he can cut it in north London.
A menace and a fierce competitor, the 26-year-old ranks among the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 6% for touches in the attacking box, the top 8% for blocks and the top 3% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.
Evidently willing to put in the work, the £90k-per-week Richarlison will be hoping that the cogs combine after returning from groin surgery, claiming that he has been dealing with “unbearable pain” for many months.
Perhaps the tide will now turn, with the player posting four direct contributions against the Hammers from ten appearances – winning six – and boasting the physical attributes to bypass the Hammers’ defence.
Bryan Gil must be the man who returns to the bench, with the Spaniard starting the past two matches on the left flank for the Lilywhites, having yet to make a tackle and creating just 0.3 key passes per game.
Once proclaimed to be a “potential star in the making” by ESPN’s David Cartlidge, Gil was criticised for an “utterly pointless” loan move after failing to impress down the N17 by Spurs expert John Wenham.
He doesn’t offer the physical attributes requisite for success in the Premier League and certainly not against tough-tackling West Ham.
Tottenham will have been galvanised by Dejan Kulusevski’s last-gasp equaliser against Pep Guardiola’s side, and rightly so, but now Postecoglou must manufacture a winning return to form to ensure that Champions League qualification remains attainable.
West Ham are certainly no pushovers but Spurs haven’t lost to the Irons on home soil for five matches across all competitions, and victory later today would provide the squad with exactly the kind of result needed to rekindle the feel-good factor.
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