Tottenham Hotspur noticed their unbeaten begin to the 2022/23 Premier League marketing campaign come to a crashing finish on Saturday afternoon, with Antonio Conte’s facet bested 3-1 by Arsenal at The Emirates.
And, whereas even essentially the most cussed of Spurs supporters will seemingly admit that the Gunners have been the higher facet on the day, it’s simple that one participant’s actions performed an enormous half in Tottenham’s eventual defeat.
Indeed, on the 62-minute mark, with the Lilywhites searching for a method again into the sport, Emerson Royal clumsily lunged in on Gabriel Martinelli, catching the Brazilian on the ankle and subsequently receiving his marching orders from Anthony Taylor.
In reality, the wing-back had been having one thing of a stinker even earlier than his sending off, shedding the ball on eight separate events, being overwhelmed by an opponent twice and shedding six of his 10 duels – a failure charge of 60%.
However, it was undoubtedly his extremely wreckless problem on a participant working in direction of his personal purpose that ensured the 23-year-old would obtain the lion’s share of the blame for Spurs’ defeat within the north London derby, with the media losing no time on piling onto the wing-back.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Tottenham legend Clive Allen was incensed by the defender’s problem, stating his perception that Emerson had jeopardised Spurs’ probability of taking a end result out of the sport – one thing that in the end proved right.
“That is a ridiculous challenge,” Allen stated. “Raises his boot, six studs, and he’s just jeopardised the whole game for his club in this north London derby.”
“Emerson doesn’t play it anywhere near the ball, he just flips Martinelli’s legs from underneath him. It’s dreadful, a stupid challenge and the referee Anthony Taylor is spot on with his decision. That is crazy.”
Ex-Arsenal winger Perry Groves was additionally unimpressed by the problem of the £42k-per-week flanker, with the 57-year-old suggesting that Emerson might have damaged his compatriot’s ankle.
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“At first look, I thought it was just a trip – not much in it,” Groves advised talkSPORT. “But looking at it again, it’s studs up – that’s an ankle breaker.”
The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke was additionally in no temper to let the £35m-rated defender off the hook for his problem, with the journalist dubbing the deal with as “pointless“.
As such, contemplating the truth that Emerson’s 5.7 rated show towards Arsenal was simply the most recent in a protracted line of below-par performances in a Tottenham shirt, following the Brazilian’s three-match suspension, Conte merely must drop the 23-year-old from his beginning XI – as Saturday concretely proved that defender is extra of a legal responsibility than the rest for Spurs.