New Tottenham Hotspur attacker Richarlison caused quite the stir after coming off the bench in the second half. During the latter stages of the 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, the Brazilian started juggling with the ball and showing off, which attracted the ire of the opposition players as well as Forest manager Steve Cooper.
Spurs had a busy day in the office against the Tricky Trees in their most recent Premier League fixture. Captain Harry Kane found the back of the net twice in each half to earn them three important points following a 2-0 victory away from home at the City Ground in Nottinghamshire.
However, the biggest talking point from the match arrived during the final minutes of the contest. Brazilian forward and sensational summer signing Richarlison came on to the pitch in the second half. Despite setting up Kane for his second goal of the evening, Richarlison’s behaviour drew plenty of criticism.
His theatrics and antics have already been a polarising factor in the Premier League. While many praise and laud him for his natural flair for showboating, which comes with his Brazilian heritage, he has also been slammed by several managers, experts and fans for going down too easily and needlessly riling up the opposition.
Analysing the match between Tottenham and Forest, former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher seemed fed up with some of Richarlison’s decisions in the final 15 minutes of the contest. He got involved in the game immediately and provided the assist to Kane.
However, after Tottenham got the insurance goal and took a comfortable 2-0 lead, Richarlison received the ball on the far side of the pitch. Instead of making a dribble or passing it to a teammate, he decided to flick the ball up nonchalantly and began juggling it before misplacing a pass.
He then tried to win the ball back, but his attempt was thwarted by Brennan Johnson, who clattered into him, and Neco Williams eventually ended up landing on the former Everton star.
In the post-match press conference, Nottingham Forest boss Cooper was scathing in his criticism of Richarlison.
“I wouldn’t want my players to do what Richarlison did. It wouldn’t be accepted here,”
Cooper said.
