For the vast majority of the 2025/26 Premier League and Champions League season, Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has been one of the most forcefully criticized members of the squad, owing to his inconsistent play on a weekly basis and propensity to go invisible in important games.
But all the while, Richy quietly has the most goals scored by any Tottenham player, and for as wasteful as the Brazilian veteran can be in front of goal, he is also the guy finding the back of the net the most for Spurs.
After a strong appearance against long time rivals Liverpool, the former Everton star turned in an even better performance this past weekend in a 1-0 win over local rivals Crystal Palace. Richarlison was all over the place and is starting to look like the Richy Spurs expected when they spent a whopping 60 million pounds to sign him from Everton.
Thomas Frank has always backed Richarlison
Richarlison provided the decisive assist for Archie Gray in the win, and he was a constant creative threat throughout, leading Spurs with three chances created. And he was just as good defensively, winning a couple of tackles and even making four clearances to provide a spark going both ways that was instrumental in Tottenham holding off Crystal Palace.
While Richarlison is still widely seen as expendable by Spurs in 2026 at the age of 28 and with the club needing a true top scorer in the aftermath of losing both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, you can see why Thomas Frank and the club have backed Richy and did not sell him this summer. Because as inconsistent as Richarlison can be, when he performs like this, it really reminds you that he can be an asset - and if Spurs can not sign someone better, then selling Richy would leave them way too thin attacking wise.
Frank has backed Richarlison pretty strongly this season, and while two good games against Liverpool and Crystal Palace are probably not going to get Spurs fans to change their minds and say that Richy is better thna Randal Kolo Muani, he did prove a fair bit of doubters wrong against Palace by being that all around attacking threat while putting in hard, effective defensive work in addition to impacting the final score of a 1-0 game with the assist. Frank has to be feeling good about himself and his decision to fight the fans by sticking with Richarlison.