Tottenham 2 Marseille 0: Richarlison cries after first goals since £60m transfer as Spurs win in Champions League
THAT is why Tottenham spent all that money on a supposed “sub” this summer.
The Brazil star scored twice since his £60m move from Everton as Spurs returned to the Champions League with a win over Marseille.
And it proved too much as the Brazil star cried at the final whistle as he celebrated with his father and friends watching in the stands.
Questions were raised in some quarters when Spurs splashed £60million on Richarlison at the start of July.
Why did they need him when they already had Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski?
Surely the Brazilian would only be an expensive substitute.
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Yet Antonio Conte always insisted having a deep squad was imperative this season of all seasons, with Spurs back in the Champions League and a fixture list gone “crazy” due to the World Cup.
And anyway, who was to say Richarlison would not develop into an automatic starter, if he can put in match-winning performances like this.
With Spurs’ opening-night return to Europe’s elite club competition falling flat, even with a man advantage for most of the second half when ex-Newcastle flop Chancel Mbemba was sent off, it was Richarlison who stepped up with his first goals for the club.
Both came through bullet headers, from delicious crosses provided by Ivan Perisic and then Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
It gave Conte a strong start in a competition that has not been kind to him in the past.
The Italian, for all his domestic trophies, has only ever been past the group stage twice in five previous campaigns with Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
While the deepest he has ever gone is the quarter-finals, losing there with Juve to eventual winners Bayern Munich in 2013.
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It did feel like this was developing into another underwhelming Champions League fixture for Conte until Richarlison struck.
Marseille, filled with ex-Premier League players, mainly from Arsenal, were proving a tough nut to crack.
Like Spurs, they are unbeaten this season and are joint-top of Ligue 1 with moneybags Paris Saint-Germain.
The long-locked Matteo Guendouzi, banished from the Emirates for his arrogance, impressed in midfield, as did Gunners loanee Nuno Tavares out on the left wing.
The empathic booing of both from the home fans even began to dwindle out of begrudging respect for their performances as the game wore on.
Spurs, meanwhile, had little invention about them and were even a bit nervy at times on their night back in the big time.
Kane finally found some space in the final third a few minutes later but, unusually for him, chose the wrong option by shooting instead of crossing and Tavares blocked well.
While Spurs’ talisman also fluffed their only real chance of the opening 45 when Son Heung-min played him through.
But Manchester United loanee Eric Bailly did just enough to put Kane off and he dragged his effort wide.
The home fans were not happy at half-time, with a ripple of boos.
And Conte sent Spurs out at least three minutes before Marseille finally took to the field for the second period. Read into that what you will.
Then within minutes of the restart, Spurs were handed a huge advantage as Mbemba lost a foot-race with Son and scythed the South Korean star down.
Referee Slavko Vincic was so certain it was a sending-off offence that he dropped his red card on the floor while getting it out of his pocket before issuing it.
It was another English nightmare for Mbemba, who suffered relegation during three unhappy years on Tyneside.
But even with the man advantage, Spurs still struggled to break Marseille down.
Yet with 15 minutes to play, they finally had the breakthrough thanks to Richarlison’s maiden strike for the club.
Perisic swung in a super delivery with his weaker right foot and the Brazilian powered an exquisite header that was too strong for ex-Spurs keeper Pau Lopez.
He celebrated deliriously, happy to see this one count, unlike the one he had chalked off at Fulham on Saturday by VAR, despite having already ripped his shirt off in celebration.
Six minutes later he had his second in similar circumstances, heading in off the woodwork from Hojbjerg’s deep cross.
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Spurs just about got the job done here thanks to their much-loved Brazilian.
But then that is what they have done all season long – and they are still yet to lose.
Richarlison was in tears at the final whistle as he celebrated with one of his family members behind the goal.
Meanwhile, there was some trouble after full-time with the away fans, who were encircled by riot police.
A firework appeared to be lobbed from the Marseille crowd into the Spurs section.