Richarlison is Tottenham Hotspur‘s top scorer this season, though his goal numbers don’t do him justice.
With three games left to be played, safety is back in Tottenham’s hands after their recent back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
The Lilywhites face Leeds on Monday, two days after West Ham clash with Arsenal, meaning there is every chance that they find themselves four points clear of the bottom three with two games left.
Roberto De Zerbi has had a positive influence since his appointment, though Richarlison has played a crucial role since the start of the season.
Tottenham have relied on Richarlison for goals, but they have also done him an injustice with the gametime he has received.
MORE SPURS STORIES
🏟️ TOTTENHAM MATCHDAY HUB 🏟️
Line-ups, predicted XIs, player ratings, tactical verdicts, match analysis, and live Spurs form guides.
Get 24/7 updates from your definitive Lilywhites source
Richarlison’s stats make omission baffling
To have scored 10 goals for this Tottenham side in the Premier League is an achievement in itself, but Richarlison’s numbers go way beyond that.
He also has four assists, meaning his total goal involvement tally is up to 14 in the top flight this season, despite having started just 17 times.
Richarlison averages a goal or an assist every 121 minutes, which is only marginally higher than his average from the last three seasons combined, which has him getting one every 109 minutes.
In that period, only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak have a better ratio in the final third.
Salah and Haaland lead the way with a goal involvement every 91 minutes, while Isak has averaged one every 102 minutes that he has played.
Why are Tottenham wasting Richarlison’s ability?
The Brazilian has made a total of 29 Premier League appearances this season, meaning he has been named on the bench 13 times.
And that is baffling when taking into account the influence he has had in the final third, and even more so when taking into consideration how many attacking injuries the North Londoners have been faced with.
Tottenham may well go on to secure survival ahead of the final three games, and in all likelihood, they probably will, but the job could have been made far easier if he had been given more of a role to play.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Tottenham Hotspur News Access
Get the full story from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Hotspur Way with our dedicated expert hubs:
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from N17 and Hotspur Way.