Richarlison lauds Mohammed Kudus as Graham Potter says West Ham must improve football basics after Sunderland defeat

'Think this guy is Brazilian' - Richarlison lauds Mohammed Kudus as Graham Potter says West Ham must improve football basics after Sunderland defeat

Published 16/08/2025 at 20:07 GMT+1

Richarlison joked new Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Mohammed Kudus could be Brazilian after the pair combined for two goals in Spurs' 3-0 win over Burnley. It was a triumphant first Premier League outing at the helm for Thomas Frank, while Sunderland marked their return to the top flight with a 3-0 victory at home to West Ham that left Graham Potter unimpressed by his side's second-half display.

Frank has that ‘special spark’ Spurs need - Cole

Video credit: TNT Sports

Richarlison waxed lyrical about new team-mate Mohammed Kudus after Tottenham Hotspur's perfect start to Premier League life under Thomas Frank, while the fallout from Sunderland's win over West Ham United was intense.

Kudus assisted both of the Brazilian’s goals in a 3-0 win over Burnley, as Spurs backed up their positive showing in defeat in the UEFA Super Cup with a rampant first domestic outing under Frank that was capped off by Brennan Johnson’s 66th-minute strike.

After latching onto a first-half cross from Kudus on the right, it was Richarlison’s second goal that stole the headlines as he beat Burnley debutant Martin Dubravka with an audacious overhead kick.

Transfers

Eze moves closer to Tottenham transfer as talks with Palace continue - Paper Round

It was almost a carbon-copy assist from Kudus, who lined up on the right of a front three alongside Richarlison and left-winger Johnson, though his delivery was slightly behind his team-mate meaning an acrobatic finish was required.

"I think this guy is a Brazilian," Richarlison said of Kudus, talking to the BBC after the game. "I am so happy with this guy, next week this guy needs to score because he worked so hard for the team."

Speaking alongside Richarlison, Kudus added: "I think it was a brilliant finish. I do not think it was a perfect cross but he made it look so good. It is good to set up the strikers, I am here to serve them.

"Part of the main reason I wanted to come here was playing the position I want to play and be in the position where I can entertain the fans because I believe that is what the game is about. But most important is doing it at the right time, it is good we got the win and enjoyed part of the game as well."

Potter laments basic errors by West Ham

Kudus joined Tottenham for a reported £54.5 million from West Ham in the summer, and his former employers slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Despite the overhaul on Wearside this summer, it was three stars of The Black Cats’ promotion-winning season who made the difference, as Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor ensured Sunderland were joint-top of the Premier League table with Tottenham by the full-time whistle.

After a positive first half in which they were the better team, West Ham wilted in a raucous Stadium of Light following Mayenda’s opener - Sunderland’s first Premier League goal since Javier Manquillo netted in 2017 - and allowed Regis Le Bris’ side to run out comfortable winners.

Having only signed three players for fees so far this transfer window in stark contrast to their opponents, the evidence suggests that has not been enough for West Ham to improve on a disappointing 2024/25 campaign and make up for the loss of Kudus, so Potter was not impressed afterwards.

Highlights: Isak absent as Newcastle unable to break through 10-man Villa in season opener

Video credit: TNT Sports

"We need to get better, we need to improve, we need to understand what happened," Potter told the BBC. "There was not too much in the game, it was a fine-margins game but the scoreline reflects poorly on us and we need to accept that.

"The goals are big moments and we need to do better, as soon as you are 1-0 down the game obviously becomes more difficult. The first goal is always important and we played a decent away performance in the first half but it is not too much comfort at the moment because the second half was not good enough."

When asked where those improvements need to come, Potter added: "For me it was the basics of football. Defending your box, being better in those situations because certainly in the first half we were good, the basics we need to do better."

Le Bris believed Sunderland’s overhauled line-up was also to blame for West Ham’s first-half superiority with new signings accounting for seven of his starting 11 - only Ballard, Mayenda, Trai Hume and Jenson Seelt featured from last season’s squad.

New centre-back Omar Alderete also appeared from the bench while Marc Guiu was an unused substitute, but the star of the show was Granit Xhaka - and Le Bris praised the Swiss midfielder.

"Granit is important for us, he set the tone and we knew before that he could be the key factor in our squad," Le Bris told the BBC. "We have many young players and to make sure that everyone is working together; we need this kind of player.

"They started well, they are more experienced so probably we were a bit shy in the first half and we needed time to connect with this level. We had pre-season games but it is not massive regarding how many changes we made in our squad.

"So we need time and during this first half we tried to find the adjustment and it was much better in the second half with the energy of the squad and their togetherness, and we found the solution."

Ballard also paid tribute to Xhaka, telling the BBC’s Final Score: "We are so lucky to have him. His presence around the place, his leadership. I have never seen that in a player. We are quite a young team and I did not think one man could have the influence he is having. He has been amazing and we are lucky to have him.

"There were obviously some nerves, a lot of expectation coming into this game. We wanted the three points today. I do not think we would have settled for anything less. So there were a bit of nerves and excitement. We knew the crowd would be up for it and they really helped us today."

Stream the 2025-26 Premier League, Champions League, UEFA League, Conference League, Serie A and men's and women's FA Cup live on TNT Sports and discovery+

Premier League

'Don't have any complaints' - Guardiola praises Man City's training ground efforts after Wolves win

Premier League

Forest sign Hutchinson from Ipswich