Williams-Barnett, 18, wins Premier League award as Spurs’ left-wing options thin
Luca Williams-Barnett has won the Premier League's Creative Moment of the Month for October after a late cameo on his league debut. The award arrives as Roberto De Zerbi faces injuries to Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert, Savio and Mykhaylo Mudryk before Ipswich visit.
Luca Williams-Barnett needed only seconds of Premier League football to catch the eye. A fan vote and a panel of experts together picked out the 18-year-old winger’s contribution.
His moment came against Crystal Palace. Archie Gray had scored in the 25th minute. Jan Paul van Hecke added a second in the 73rd. Williams-Barnett then came off the bench with the game already won.
His first touch as a Premier League player was to bring down a crossfield ball from Pedro Porro. He then went past Anan Khalaili down the left. He cut inside and created a chance for Mohammed Kudus.
That was enough to beat a strong shortlist. Iliman Ndiaye of Manchester City, Michael Kayode of Brentford, Carlos Baleba of Manchester United and Martin Odegaard of Arsenal all missed out. Fans had until 12 noon on Monday 9 November to vote. The other four moments came from games played between 17 and 24 October.
Williams-Barnett joins Solanke as a Spurs winner
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle took the January prize. A scorpion kick in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City on 1 February earned Solanke his.
Williams-Barnett is an England Under-19 international. The Palace win also mattered beyond his cameo. It was Spurs’ third league victory in a row and lifted De Zerbi’s side to eighth.
Injuries leave De Zerbi short on the left wing
Tel is now among the injured. After the 1-0 defeat at Leeds on 7 November, De Zerbi said Tel had picked up a bad injury and that medical checks would show how serious it was.
The other options on that flank are also struggling. Savio, with a muscle injury, and Mudryk, with an ankle problem, had been expected back after the international break. Both are now doubts for Ipswich, 3 Added Minutes reported.
Odobert is further away. He was expected to return to training soon after Christmas and could play again in February. In total, De Zerbi could be without up to seven first-team players when league action resumes.
That leaves a gap on the left, the flank where Williams-Barnett made his mark against Palace. The award puts a fresh spotlight on a teenager with only a handful of senior minutes behind him. Whether he gets more should become clearer in the home game against Ipswich.
