Tottenham’s Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason decided to take a huge gamble with their team selection on Sunday evening.
It was a joint decision, one made by all three amid the Spurs manager’s recent surgery.
The Italian is no doubt a big miss but even with his absence from the touchline, their call ultimately paid off.
The decision to drop Heung-min Son may not have been altogether surprising given his form this term but leaving him on the bench paid dividends for a second time in 2022/23.
Last time Conte made that call back in September, the South Korean responded in emphatic fashion by coming off the bench to score a hat-trick in the 6-2 win over Leicester, and he scored as a substitute again in Spurs’ 2-0 win over West Ham.
Harry Kane slid the ball into Son who took it like a man who won the golden boot last campaign, not like a player with just five top-flight goals to his name all season.
However, that goal will undoubtedly lead to a selection headache.
How did Richarlison play against West Ham?
Richarlison was selected ahead of Son on Sunday evening with the Brazilian earning his first start since the World Cup.
The forward has had a troubled first campaign in north London following his £60m switch from Everton with it safe to say that he hasn’t paid an ounce of that fee back.
The 25-year-old has scored twice in the Champions League but is yet to find the net in the Premier League, a record that perhaps owes to his 11 games out through injury as much as it does his own performances.
It may be harsh to call him a flop already but Richarlison’s showing against the Hammers was perhaps telling of his stint in the capital to date.
The Brazil international had a fantastic opportunity to beat the goalkeeper in the first half but in a moment that BBC pundit Glenn Murray labelled “very poor” on Radio 5 Live commentary, stuck a tame and weak effort right at Lukasz Fabianski.
That was as good as it got for the 6-foot attacker who struggled before ironically being withdrawn for goal-scorer, Son.
During the former’s time on the pitch, he not only spurned that ‘big’ chance but made just nine passes from his 26 touches, the lowest of any Spurs player to start the game.
Furthermore, the former Watford man registered no successful dribbles and was victorious in only four of his 13 duels.
A frustrating and combative afternoon for Richarlison ultimately ended in three points but he did his own chances of securing a regular starting spot no favours.
If this was the summer arrival’s big test under Stellini and Conte’s watchful eyes, then he failed it. Son simply has to come back into the side at the first time of asking next weekend.
