Randal Kolo Muani has earned just his second start in the Premier League for Tottenham’s clash against Chelsea.
Early Premier League meetings against the Blues are never fun, with Spurs’ first season under Ange Postecoglou capitulating after their 4-1 defeat back in November 2023.
But the Dane will be looking to boost fans’ spirits after Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
But given the team’s recent history against one another, a win may be a tough ask for Thomas Frank on Saturday. However, Kolo Muani may have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Randal Kolo Muani is the perfect pick for Thomas Frank
Tottenham signed Kolo Muani on loan from PSG over the summer, but fitness kept him sidelined for weeks.
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He has since been eased back into the squad, with the game against the Blues being his second Premier League start.
There is not much to say about his league start:
Indeed, he has failed to create a single big chance and has made only 0.5 key passes according to Sofascore.
Most of his minutes came during Spurs’ 3-0 win over Everton, but his teammates struggled to find him during the game.
Still, his ability to create space for others and bring his teammates into the game was positive.
Indeed, Kolo Muani is a fast attacker who thrives when in space, and Chelsea are a team that leaves a lot of space behind to exploit.
Therefore, Frank made an exceptional and potentially game-winning decision to start the Frenchman.
How can Thomas Frank prevail against Chelsea?
The Blues have been a difficult team to keep quiet in the Premier League this season, having netted 17 goals, which is the same amount as the Lilywhites.
However, their chance creation has been far superior:
Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto have been Chelsea’s main creators this season, assisting three and two goals respectively.
As a result, Spurs will need to keep both of the moderately quiet if Frank wants to secure his second home league win of the season.
On the surface, this looks like an easy chance, given that Tottenham have conceded seven goals this season, which is the second fewest in the league. But history dictates that Frank will need to be vigilant throughout the game.