Thomas Frank could not have wished for a better first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur against Burnley at home on Saturday.
A newly-promoted team coming away to Spurs on the opening day was always likely to work in the home team’s favour, given that the last six teams to come up have all gone straight back down, and that is how it played out.
Richarlison was given the nod ahead of Dominic Solanke in the centre-forward position and showcased his potential as a number nine for Frank with two terrific goals, including an overhead kick.
The Brazil international will be hoping to stay fit and kick on as the main man for goals for Spurs in the Frank era, having started the season with a bang.
Richarlison was not the only player who caught the eye with an impressive performance against the Clarets on Saturday, though, as Mohammed Kudus put in a fantastic display.
Spurs signed the Ghana international from Premier League rivals West Ham United for a fee of £55m earlier this summer, and he has already shown the supporters a glimpse of what to expect from him.
What Mohammed Kudus can bring to Spurs this season
The former Ajax starlet lined up on the right of the front three, with Richarlison in the middle and Brennan Johnson on the left, and caused Burnley endless problems at the top end of the pitch.
Kudus was a constant threat with the ball at his feet and got supporters out of their seats with his direct and aggressive play on the ball, which helped him to create both of Richarlison’s goals.
His second assist, for Richarlison’s overhead kick, was particularly eye-catching. The winger brilliantly beat the defender with a sharp touch on the outside and provided a sublime cross with his weaker right foot to tee up the striker for the stunning finish.
Minutes
85
xA
0.58
Chances created
5
Assists
2
Pass accuracy
92%
Dribbles completed
2/3
Ground duels won
5/7
As you can see in the table above, the £55m signing enjoyed a terrific debut against Scott Parker’s team by creating a whopping five chances for his side in 85 minutes on the pitch.
Kudus only delivered three assists and averaged one key pass per game in the Premier League last season for West Ham, per Sofascore, which may suggest that the Hammers were not getting the best out of the left-footed star.
After also creating three chances in the Super Cup against PSG, per Sofascore, the 25-year-old star could be expected to provide creativity for Spurs on a regular basis down the right flank this season in Frank’s system.
It is down to Frank to ensure that the team is getting Kudus in the right positions to keep up that level of creativity, though, and the club’s latest transfer target could help with that.
Spurs have shown interest in Premier League full-back
According to The Boot Room, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Manchester City full-back Rico Lewis this summer.
The report claims that intermediaries have been tasked with reaching out to clubs, including Spurs, to let them know that the England international may be available.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Spurs have all been contacted by these intermediaries and, subsequently, shown an interest in the young defender.
The Boot Room adds that Lewis is considering his future at The Etihad, despite City wanting to offer him a new contract, and that he is set to hold talks with Pep Guardiola before the end of the month.
Forest – led by Evangelos Marinakis – have reportedly had an offer of £25.8m turned down by Manchester City, and it remains to be seen how much it would take for Spurs to get a deal done for the 20-year-old talent to bolster Frank’s squad before the end of the summer transfer window.
Why Spurs should sign Rico Lewis
Tottenham should be pushing to get a deal done for Lewis ahead of the likes of Forest and Aston Villa because he could be a dream signing for Kudus down the right flank.
The City academy graduate primarily plays at right-back, although he can also play in midfield, and has the ability on the ball to be the player who provides the former West Ham man with the service he needs to be effective on a consistent basis.
Spurs, as aforementioned, need to make sure that Kudus consistently gets the ball in positions to make an impact in the final third, to ensure that he does not struggle in the same way that he did with the Hammers last season.
Lewis, who assisted Erling Haaland for a goal against Wolves on Saturday, is a young talent who possesses the qualities on the ball to make him an ideal partner for Kudus down the right side for Tottenham.
Pass accuracy
91.9%
73.4%
Progressive passes
6.03
5.16
Passes into the final third
4.88
4.50
Touches in the opposition’s box
2.53
1.23
Progressive carries
2.08
2.04
Through balls
0.24
0.19
As you can see in the table above, the Manchester City youngster is more progressive and efficient with the ball at his feet than Pedro Porro, at least based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days.
These statistics suggest that Lewis, once dubbed “exceptional” by Guardiola, would be more likely to supply Kudus with the ball in advanced positions each game, providing the winger with even more opportunities to make things happen with the ball at his feet at the top end of the pitch.
The Spurs target also won 59% of his ground duels in the Premier League last season, whilst Porro won 53% of his, per Sofascore, which suggests that he also has the potential to be as strong, if not stronger, out of possession as a defender.
This may not seem like a big deal for Kudus, on the face of it, but if Lewis can prove himself to be a defensive upgrade on Porro, the Ghana international may not need to focus on his defensive duties as much, freeing him up to play higher up the pitch.
Worth more than Kudus & Eze: Spurs have struck gold on "incredible" talent
Tottenham Hotspur already have a player who’s value has soared in North London in recent times.
3 ByEthan Lamb
Overall, therefore, the England international could be a dream for Kudus because of the qualities that he could provide in and out of possession, which is why Spurs should be pushing to snap him up.