Tottenham Hotspur keep taking one step forward and two steps backwards amid a lack of a proven goalscorer, a clear problem that was on display in a dreaded 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Halloween weekend.
Thomas Frank has started his reign with Richarlison as his starting number nine, giving him a lifeline after the Brazilian seemed to be headed for the exit door. But his poor consistency in front of goal has been a problem that Frank will soon need to rectify.
Randal Kolo Muani was given a chance to impress and started his side's encounter with Chelsea at home on Saturday. But the on-loan French forward was ineffective and Richarlison was just as dissapointing after coming on in the second half.
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Kolo Muani got his career back on track in the second half of last season, managing 10 goals in 22 games while on loan at Juventus. When the Frenchman arrived at Spurs on deadline day, some envisioned he'd carry that form with him to North London.
The 26-year-old is shaking off a recent injury problem but he failed to take his chance against Chelsea and Frank will be scratching his head and wondering where he can find a potent number nine. It doesn't look like Richarlison will be the man for the job, as he's now five league games without a goal.
Jay Boothroyd had highlighted the goalscoring problems in the Lilywhites' team ahead of their defeat to their London rivals. The former Premier League striker said: "I thought Richarlison would be that guy this year, but to have Van de Ven as your top goalscorer at this point, that is very worrying."
Kolo Muani and Richarlison both failed to register a single shot on or off target and were no threat for Enzo Maresca's defence. The defeat means Frank's men now sit third, having suffered their third defeat of the season.
While the North Londoners may be the joint-second highest scorers in the league, they don't boast a clinical finisher that their potential top rivals do. Richarlison remains his side's top scorer with three goals, a worrying statistic given it's November and 10 games into the season.