Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways on Sunday in the Premier League, outlasting a pretty tough team in Crystal Palace 1-0 as Thomas Frank was able to out maneuver Oliver Glasner, who has been a rumored potential replacement for Frank, in what turned out to be unsurprisingly a real defensive battle.
Richarlison was the main Man of the Match for Tottenham with a decisive assist, plenty of chances created, and even some wonderful defensive work as a positive follow up from his impressive performance against personal rivals Liverpool.
But if you ask most Tottenham fans who were watching the game, they would pinpoint second half substitute Wilson Odobert as the real game changer. Odobert's inclusion into the game helped turn the tide for Spurs, and you can see the tidy touches and the evidence of a player who could become a real Premier League terror for defenders with his take ons once he is truly full of confidence.
Wilson Odobert was in full flow
Well on Sunday against Crystal Palace, Odobert did not look lacking in confidence at all. He was brilliant on the ball and very direct, destabilizing an otherwise excellent Crystal Palace defense, helping Spurs ensure they would remain in control of the game with the lead intact.
Odobert has not been starting regularly for Tottenham, as both he and fellow young French left winger Mathys Tel are often discarded by Thomas Frank, who has a clear bias towards the more senior players like strikers Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.
You have to think, though, that with Tel and Odobert changing games when they come onto the pitch in important matches and proving to be decisive, Frank can only hold them out of important minutes and starts for so long.
Odobert has probably flown more under the radar than Tel because he isn't as explosive of an athlete and does not have the size to be a possible answer at striker, but he is a real playmaker in short areas with the quickness and skill to star on the left wing or in the attacking midfield.
Tottenham need players like Odobert who can provide a spark off the dribble, suck in defenders, and link up neatly with other forwards. Odobert is a real boon to have in the side next to players like Kolo Muani and Richarlison who are bigger bodied strikers, and RKM, in particular, would benefit a lot from playing with a young French playmaker who masters link up play. Odobert's key display against Palace just might help Frank take stronger notice.