De Zerbi must drop 49-touch Spurs flop who was even worse than Richarlison

Tottenham Hotspur missed a huge opportunity to secure their Premier League status last night, after only being able to secure a 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side looked to be heading towards all three points in North London, after Mathys Tel’s peach of a strike in the 50th minute put the Lilywhites a goal ahead.

However, the goalscorer would go from hero to zero after being penalised for a high boot following a VAR check – leading to a penalty for Daniel Farke’s side.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin stepped up and fired home past Antonin Kinsky, subsequently securing a point for the visitors and preventing De Zerbi from claiming a first home win.

As a result, the Lilywhites are now two points clear of the relegation zone with just two games remaining – but crucially, their survival is firmly in their own hands.

Spurs’ poor performers against Leeds United

Despite securing a vital point, numerous Spurs players failed to impress and produce a display worthy of maintaining their starting role in the Spurs starting eleven.

Conor Gallagher was once again handed a starting role at the heart of the side, but could only complete a measly 79% of the passes he attempted in North London.

He also failed to create any chances whilst only making three passes into the final third – further highlighting his lack of impact within attacking areas.

He wasn’t alone in failing to deliver from the heart of the side, with fellow midfielder Joao Palhinha once again unable to provide the desired effect in and out of possession.

The Portuguese international also failed to create any chances for his teammates and lost the ball a staggering 16 times – demonstrating his struggles with the ball at his feet.

The 30-year-old was also dribbled past on two separate occasions, whilst only coming out on top of 45% of the ground duels he entered against Farke’s men.

Spurs star needs to be dropped after Leeds

With just two games remaining this season and just two points separating Spurs and the relegation zone, De Zerbi can’t take any chances on players who are below par.

Since his arrival in April, the Lilywhites have only lost one of his five games at the helm, with the Italian injecting a newfound sense of optimism into the fanbase.

However, he will know that the job still isn’t done just yet, with the manager desperately needing to make some bold calls on various members of his senior squad.

Gallagher and Palhinha are just two players who may lose their starting roles, but attackers Richarlison, who missed a gilt-edged chance in the second half and Randal Kolo Muani, are two others to have notably come under scrutiny in recent months.

Richarlison was incredibly wasteful in front of goal but his French counterpart was arguably just as bad, if not worse, cutting a largely non-existent figure on the right flank. The forward, who joined on loan from PSG last summer, has only netted one goal in the Premier League to date, with his showing last night one that lacked confidence.

He operated in a wide right position against Leeds in North London, but massively failed to deliver – just as he has done throughout the majority of his temporary spell.

The 27-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, but only completed 18 passes and gave possession away 22 times – the most of any Spurs player.

He failed to register a single effort on the opposition goal during the draw, whilst failing to complete any of the crosses he attempted – highlighting his struggles within attacking areas.

Without the ball, Kolo Muani was just as disappointing, subsequently committing two fouls and coming out second best in 80% of his 15 ground duels.

After such a performance, the loanee has proven once again that he’s not a player who’s capable of delivering the goods in the heat of the ongoing relegation battle.

The return to fitness of James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall should see the forward fall further down the manager’s plans between now and the end of the campaign.

His showing against Leeds last night was yet another to forget for the experienced forward, with the club desperately needing to look at other options in the summer.

However, in the immediate future, De Zerbi must consider other solutions within the final third if the club are to get over the line and fend off any late relegation worries.