Fewer touches than Vicario: Spurs must drop 5/10 star alongside Richarlison

da aposte e ganhe： Tottenham Hotspur kick-started their Champions League 2025/26 campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over LaLiga outfit Villarreal in North London last night.

da pinup bet： It wasn’t a vintage performance from Thomas Frank’s men, but it was a performance that got the job done and secured all three points in their opening encounter.

The Lilywhites will need to produce better displays going forward if they are to secure automatic qualification to the knockout stages of the competition.

There’s no doubt the Dane will ensure the side don’t replicate such a display, especially when the side travel to face Bodo Glimt in their next European outing at the end of the month.

However, if the side is to produce a better display in Norway, the manager will need to drop one player after his dismal showing against Marcelino Garcia’s men.

Why Richarlison needs to be dropped by Frank

While Richarlison has been a live wire for Spurs this campaign, netting two goals to date, his showing against Villarreal was arguably one of his worst in the new season.

The Brazilian was handed the responsibility of leading the line once again, but failed to produce a performance highlighting the trust put into him by boss Frank.

He only registered 23 touches during his 77-minute performance, completing just three passes in the process – subsequently failing to maintain possession for the Lilywhites.

The 28-year-old also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles and failed to register a single effort on goal, further showcasing his lack of positive impact in the final third.

Richarlison’s dismal outing didn’t stop there, even picking up a yellow card for a late challenge on Juan Foyth – showing glimpses of his rash past, which has led to questions previously being asked about his attitude.

There’s no denying that the manager should drop him from his next starting eleven, but he shouldn’t be alone in being excluded after his recent showing in the Champions League.

The Spurs star who should be dropped alongside Richarlison

The start to the Frank reign at Spurs has been a positive one, with his side winning four of the first five competitive games he’s taken charge of in 2024/25.

Wins against Manchester City, Burnley and West Ham United were certainly more convincing, but the same can’t be said for the showing against the Spanish outfit last night.

The three points will be the most important aspect, but the manager will no doubt be concerned about his team’s lack of talent during the 1-0 triumph on home soil.

Richarlison was just one player who failed to deliver, but Djed Spence also fell into such a category despite his own recent rise to stardom in North London.

The full-back has started every game of Frank’s tenure, subsequently leading to the 25-year-old claiming his maiden England call-up during the recent international break.

However, his recent success is credit to the player, but his outing against Villarreal showed glimpses of arrogance – resulting in a debut Champions League performance to forget.

Spence featured for 69 minutes against the Spanish outfit, winning just one tackle and failing to make a single interception – falling way below the standards he’s set for himself.

Djed Spence’s display against Villarreal

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

69

Touches

52

Tackles won

1

Interceptions made

0

Possession lost

9x

Misplaced passes

6

Recoveries made

0

Match rating

5/10

Stats via FotMob

He also lost possession nine times, misplacing six of his attempted passes, even registering just 52 touches of the ball – a tally fewer than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who managed 55.

As a result of his showing, Spence was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold – further highlighting his struggles in Europe’s biggest competition.

Such a showing will cast doubt over his position in the first-team squad, which could see Destiny Udogie handed a rare start in the Premier League this weekend.

The Englishman and Richarlison certainly endured evenings to forget last night, with Frank needing to try alternative solutions if he is to maintain the excellent start to life in the role.