Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison was left disappointed after Harry Kane took a penalty kick that he was keen to take during a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Brazilian has been in the news lately, thanks to his explosive comments following the team’s defeat in the Champions League.
Despite his differences with the manager, Richarlison started the game and put in an impressive performance. He was brought down inside the area in the first half and was seemingly eager to take the spot kick to end his goal drought in the Premier League. However, journalist Alasdair Gold noted on his YouTube channel that he saw a disappointed Richarlison when Kane stepped up to take the penalty.
Since signing for the Lilywhites, Richarlison has failed to score a single Premier League goal, with his only two goals coming in the home game against Marseille in the Champions League. He has had injury issues that have seen him sidelined for a period of time, but for a £60m player, Spurs would have hoped for a better return.
Recently, he was criticised for his efforts in the FA Cup disappointment against Sheffield United, receiving a mere 3/10 rating from Gold. However, in the game against Nottingham Forest, he almost provided an instant reply to his doubters as he netted inside the opening three minutes. Although that goal was chalked off by VAR for a questionable offside, he was able to see out the game in style by winning the penalty for the second goal and providing the assist for Son Heung-min in the second half.
The reality was that Kane was never going to give up the penalty kick when he has the all-time goalscoring record on the line. However, it would have been good to see Richarlison eager to take on that responsibility. His performance on Saturday earned him an 8/10 rating from Gold, with the 26-year-old playing a big role in the victory that saw Spurs strengthen their hold on fourth spot.
If Richarlison is able to continue playing in the manner he did on Saturday, there is little doubt that goals will come for the Brazilian. Tottenham will be hoping that his performance against Nottingham Forest was a sign of things to come, and that he will be able to replicate that form in future matches.