Tottenham now have 2 compelling reasons to start Luca Williams-Barnett
Tottenham Hotspur fans have fallen in love with Luca Williams-Barnett. They already did before the season even started, because they either knew he was a top prospect or they watched him shine in the preseason. But after his spellbinding run in his Premier League debut off the bench against Crystal Palace, Spurs fans had fallen head over heels for the teenager.
Roberto De Zerbi wants to lease him along, and that's wise. So starting soon is likely out of the question for LWB. But it's not impossible. And after the events that transpired at Elland Road against Leeds United, Tottenham now have a couple of compelling reasons for thrusting LWB into a major role after the briefer November international break.
The first reason is the Mathys Tel injury. It's unclear what the injury is or to what extent, but it did not look good. Tel absorbed a brutal tackle, studs up on his Achilles that was somehow not even booked despite meriting a red card in literally any other league - Xavi Simons had been sent off for a more benign version of that challenge last season.
Omar Marmoush doesn't look like a solution
If Tel is out for any period of time after the international break or not 100 percent, the left wing is vacant. Tottenham Hotspur are going to need an immediate solution. They could roll with Savio on the left side and start a noninverted winger so both Mohammed Kudus and Savio are in the 11, and they are probably the two best wingers on the team. But with Kudus struggling badly to score and coming off a bad game against Leeds himself, it's going to be even harder for Spurs to get the goals they need.
The other option then is to play Omar Marmoush as an inverted left winger. But he's been terrible this season, too, and he was just as bad as Dominic Solanke against Leeds. In fact, he may have been the worst player on the pitch with zero key passes, zero dribbles completed, and seven unforced errors to lose possession. That hardly sounds like a great left winger option.
Marmoush's struggles, therefore, open up the ambipedal Luca Williams-Barnett on the left wing. He is young, yes, but even with his rawness, he may still already be Spurs best option on the wings. Williams-Barnett can use his left foot and skills to be the traditional left winger like Savio, but his right foot is also good enough to cut inside and shoot, which means he could offer a better goal threat than the Brazilian. It's an option worth thinking about.
