Lucas Moura branded Richarlison a “beast” on his Instagram Story after he helped Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur to a dramatic 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday.
It’s been a difficult week for Richarlison, who recently admitted he would seek psychological help for off-field issues following a difficult spell.
But the Brazilian star eased the pressure on his shoulders by coming off the bench yesterday and helping Tottenham turn the game around in two crazy minutes of injury time.
After 97 minutes the points went to Yorkshire, but when the 100 was scored the home side celebrated the victory.
It was Richarlison’s header from a corner that sparked the two-minute frenzy before his pass found Dejan Kulusevski on the edge of the area and he calmly sent the ball into the net.
That win maintains Spurs’ unbeaten start to the new Premier League season and gives the likes of Richarlison a much-needed boost, with Lucas Moura sending his former teammate the following message via his Instagram story.
This is the 26-year-old’s second Premier League goal for Spurs and could perhaps be the start of the striker’s recovery journey.
No one has ever questioned the player’s work ethic or the passion he shows on the pitch.
But it lacks that sharpness, that ruthless character and that finishing touch, which is why the criticism towards it is justified.
But maybe, just maybe, it’s not just that goal, but the way the Spurs won, that will now push Richrlison on to bigger and better things.
Tottenham’s return showcased the invaluable intangibles Ange has cultivated
Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 16, 2023 in London, England.
Tottenham secured the latest comeback win in Premier League history on Saturday, demonstrating the ability, like all elite championship-winning teams, to win at the death despite not being at their best.
It’s a feature that Tottenham’s previous teams have lacked. The ability to come back from a late deficit and win in injury time is invaluable and is usually reserved for the best teams of the caliber of league winners.
We shouldn’t exaggerate, but the character and fighting spirit shown by Ange against Sheffield United was equally inspiring and impressive.
In its golden years, Manchester United were known for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Thanks to the consistency with which United belatedly found a way to overturn the result, Fergie Time was born.
Once again, one match is not enough to put Tottenham in this category.
Additionally, people, especially Arsenal fans, will downplay the performance and point out that it came against a newly promoted team that was, at least on paper, inferior.
However, Ange should be immensely proud of instilling in Spurs the belief, drive and never-give-up attitude that led to their youngest ever return to the Premier League.
It is useful that the referees now take into account every wasted minute, granting twelve minutes of added time.
Tottenham achieved the unlikely victory without playing at their best, which made the match even more impressive.
While the home team dominated possession, something we have fortunately become accustomed to with Ange at the helm, Spurs were not at their best.
Scoring two goals in as many minutes of injury time (98th and 100th minute) to complete the comeback certainly won’t happen often.
But the fact that this only happens once, less than three months after Ange’s appointment, is testament to the feel-good mantra in the dressing room.
The entire selection moves in the same direction. Collective belief and trust are at an all-time high, two intangibles that aren’t easy to come by, and neither is winning a game this deep into second-half stoppage time.
While Ange will give credit to his players for pulling off this astonishing feat (and he should), the gaffer deserves credit for creating a winning, close-knit culture in just over three months on the pitch.
