Brazilian drew attention once more on his full debut, but this time it was his performance that stood out.
Richarlison of Tottenham Hotspur is no different from Richarlison of Everton, and the Brazilian’s full debut in north London provided a clear explanation for why Antonio Conte deemed him to be worth £60 million this summer.
If Richarlison was a talking point last week for his showboating against Nottingham Forest, then this week it was his all-round performance that caught the eye. Even then, though, he still found time for some more ridiculousness, receiving a yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration of a goal that was subsequently ruled out for offside. The yellow stands, but the goal does not.
To be clear, Conte was not too bothered by that particular incident. He was keener to talk about Richarlison’s excellent showing, both with and without the ball. Playing on the right side of the Spurs attack, in place of the rested Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison provided a level of attacking quality and defensive snarl that was crucial to the victory over a battling Fulham.
On another day, Richarlison might have left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a couple of goals and a hat-trick of assists to his name. He combined beautifully with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in the Spurs frontline, drifting into positions that posed all sorts of uncomfortable questions for Fulham’s defenders, and attacked with aggression throughout.
It was his delicate pass, towards the end of the first half, that allowed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to score the opening goal. Richarlison also struck the post in the second half with an artful volley, before his late tap-in was overturned.
Perhaps, even more, exciting for Conte was Richarlison’s defensive work. He led the resistance from the front, flying into tackles and generally irritating the Fulham defenders whenever he could. The forward won more tackles than any other Spurs player, while only midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur regained possession more times in the match.
As Spurs came under late pressure following Aleksandar Mitrovic’s latest goal for Fulham – his sixth in six games – it was primarily Richarlison who provided the energy and intelligence to run down the clock and slow Fulham’s momentum.
“Richy is a strong player,” said Conte afterward. “You feel him when he is on the pitch. You feel his personality. He is a warrior, a fighter. We need this type of player.”
Richarlison is capable of playing in any of the three attacking positions in Conte’s system – left, right, or center – and it should be a source of excitement for Spurs that he does so in such a different way to Son, Kulusevski, and Kane.
The Brazilian’s interpretation of the right-sided role on Saturday, as an example, was totally different from Kulusevski, who is more of a traditional winger. Richarlison largely played in more central areas, combining with Kane, and also showed a willingness to switch over to the other flank. On one foray to the left, he so bamboozled Tosin Adarabioyo that the Fulham defender simply fell to the floor as the ball rolled through his legs.
Conte says he is ‘relaxed’ with Richarlison’s game
Conte described himself as being made to feel “relaxed” by Richarlison’s performance. This will be a long, attritional season for Spurs, who begin their Champions League campaign against Marseille on Wednesday night, and the Italian knows he will need to regularly rotate his front line.
For Richarlison to perform like this on his first start is proof, for Conte and indeed for everyone else, that Spurs can change their attacking lineup without weakening the team. Only Son created more than Richarlison’s four chances, and no Spurs player dribbled at the opposition as frequently as the Brazilian.
“Richy played really well and in this way, I am also more relaxed,” said Conte. “Because when you play every three days, sometimes you need to give a bit of rest. I am using him in all three positions up front. As a No 9 and No 10 on the right or the left. In the previous game, he played in Son’s position, and against Fulham, he played in Deki’s [Kulusevski] position. I enjoyed the fact he worked a lot to understand our ideas quickly.”
Part of the reason it has taken Richarlison so long to start a match is that he was banned for the opening game, after throwing a flare into the stands while playing for Everton last season. That is typical of a character who is so unpredictable and chaotic, but those qualities are also what makes him so effective as a player.
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