"He was in their heads a little bit” - Ian Wright highlights how Spurs star caused ‘lot of problems’ for Arsenal in 3-2 win
Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes Brazilian striker Richarlison caused the Gunners a lot of problems when he came on for Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash on Sunday, April 28.
The 26-year-old striker was a second-half substitute for Ange Postecoglou as his side narrowly lost to their bitter north London rivals by 3-2.
Spurs were hoping to spoil Arsenal's party, who are currently fighting for what would be their first Premier League title since 2004. The Lilywhites are also battling it out for a top four spot with Aston Villa, who are currently seven points above them, having played two games more.
Despite a bright start for Postecoglou's men, they weren't able to contain Mikel Arteta's team and found themselves three goals down in the 38th minute. Although the home side recovered well, their two second-half goals weren't enough to force a draw.
Richarlison was one of the players who helped engineer the fight-back for Spurs in the second-half after being introduced in the 64th minute for James Maddison.
Speaking about the Brazilian striker's performance against Arsenal, club legend Wright said that Richarlison got into the Gunners' heads during his substitute appearance.
While discussing the game on Premier League Productions, Wright said (via TBR Football):
"I don’t know what it is with Richarlison."
The former Arsenal striker continued:
“If he weren’t fit enough (to start) because he caused them a lot of problems. He was in their heads a little bit and you could see that Arsenal, they kind of dropped back a little and took the pressure. In the end, they have got over the line, which is the most important thing.”
Where does the 3-2 victory leave Arsenal in the title race?
The north London giants made another huge stride towards the 2023-24 PL title on Sunday as they defeated bitter rivals Tottenham 3-2 away from home. Goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and an own goal from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, were enough to see Arteta's men through.
The win currently puts Arsenal at the top of the PL standings with 80 points after 35 games. They are, however, just a point above second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
The Gunners will be looking to win their remaining three fixtures and hoping that City somehow stumble to stand a chance of lifting their first PL title since 2004.