A Tottenham outcast who has been “eaten alive in the Premier League” should be taken out of the lineup to give Odobert his chance.
BTottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank must find a way to spark more consistent chance creation after recent Premier League struggles.
Spurs produced eight big chances against Copenhagen in the Champions League last week, according to Sofascore, but their attacking output has not transferred into league action.
Against Manchester United, Tottenham managed an xG of 0.92 in a 2-2 draw, after only generating 0.10 xG in the defeat to Chelsea. Per FBref, Spurs rank 14th in the Premier League for xG with 11.0 in 11 matches, highlighting how far off they are from the division’s most creative sides.
One immediate solution could be to hand Wilson Odobert a start following his explosive cameo at Old Trafford.
The former Burnley forward came on at half-time for Randal Kolo Muani and instantly injected pace, intent and productivity. He provided the assist for Richarlison’s goal with a shot-turned-cross and consistently drove at United’s backline.
vs Manchester United – Odobert (45 minutes)
Shots: 1
Key passes: 3
Big chances created: 2
Dribbles completed: 2/2
Pass accuracy: 100%
Duels won: 4/4
Those numbers came just days after he started and scored against Copenhagen, meaning he has now produced goal contributions in back-to-back matches for the first time as a Tottenham player. His form shows he is settling in North London and building momentum.
To get Odobert into the XI, a current starter would have to be sacrificed – and Xavi Simons is the obvious candidate.
The Dutchman created three big chances and provided an assist against Copenhagen, but failed to build on that against Manchester United. He played 79 minutes at Old Trafford without creating a single chance, and this has been a recurring issue across the Premier League campaign so far.
Content creator Ronaldo Brown described Simons as a player who takes “one touch too many” and has been “swallowed” in Premier League matches. His numbers support that view – he has no goals and just one assist in eight league appearances since his summer arrival from RB Leipzig.
His underlying Premier League metrics place him near the bottom of the attacking midfielder rankings in xG, shots on target, goals, and touches in the opposition box.
Simons has yet to replicate the end product he produced in Germany, while Odobert has shown he can make an immediate impact in England. Based on current form, the French youngster has earned a starting role, and the logical move would be to remove Simons from the line-up to let Odobert take control in a central attacking position.
