Richarlison's appearance for Tottenham Hotspur's under-21s this week has thrown the club's attacking crisis into sharp relief. The £60m Brazilian striker, left out of the Premier League squad last month, scored a half-volley in a 2-2 EFL Trophy draw with League Two Cheltenham Town before Spurs' reserves lost the subsequent penalty shootout 7-6.
It was only his second appearance of the season, his first since the end of August, and came after a failed deadline-day move back to Everton. Manager Roberto de Zerbi has distanced himself from the decision to omit the 29-year-old from the 25-man squad. "He decided everything alone," De Zerbi said. "He spoke with me at the beginning of the pre-season and told me his idea and desire was to leave."
A costly absence
Richarlison's absence is being felt acutely. Tottenham are 19th in the Premier League with just three points from six games, having scored a league-low three goals. Their last result was a 1-1 draw at Manchester United, where Dominic Solanke's 90th-minute equaliser rescued a point. That goal was significant: it was the first Premier League strike from a Tottenham forward since Richarlison netted against Chelsea back in May.
Solanke, a £55m signing from Bournemouth two years ago, has scored just 13 league goals for the club. His performance at Old Trafford drew criticism from former England striker Alan Shearer, who described him as 'nowhere near good enough' on Match of the Day. De Zerbi, however, was pleased with the forward's contribution after his first goal of the season.
The search for goals
The club's struggles are stark. They have conceded nine goals and their recent form reads DLLDD. Supporters inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium held banners earlier this season begging the 2025 Europa League winners to find the net after they failed to score in their first four league games. Despite a summer spend of £300m on new recruits, the goals have not materialised.
Richarlison, last season's 12-goal leading scorer, now finds himself in the unfamiliar surroundings of the EFL Trophy's group stage. This competition offers him a rare chance for competitive minutes before the January window. A proposed late move to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama also collapsed after he failed to agree personal terms.
Since his arrival from Everton, Richarlison has scored 27 top-flight goals in 103 appearances for Spurs. His exclusion means he was also ineligible for last month's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool, as only players registered in the league squad can feature. The club's full schedule, including the upcoming home match against Coventry City, is available on our fixtures page, while the current league standings show the scale of the task ahead.
Tottenham's next chance to address their goal drought comes at home to Coventry, who sit 14th, on 19 October.
Read the full report at BBC Sport Football
