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Tottenham 1 AZ 0: Moore's Neymar impression, Werner fights and strengthens Richarlison


Tottenham 1 AZ 0: Moore's Neymar impression, Werner fights and strengthens Richarlison

It's safe to assume that the football world has now taken notice of the talented young prospect Mikey Moore.

Thanks to a 1-0 win over 10-man AZ Alkmaar, Tottenham Hotspur maintained their 100 per cent record in the Europa League this season, with Ange Postecoglou's side dominating possession even as they struggled to get past stubborn opponents defeat. Richarlison scored the winner in his first start of the season, but Moore took the spotlight.

Postecoglou gave the 17-year-old his first home start among nine changes since the weekend's 4-1 win over West Ham United and he took his chance with a stunning performance. In the end, a Brazilian emerged victorious against AZ, but it was the comparison with Neymar after the game that caused a stir.

Here, The athleteJay Harris breaks down the key talking points.


Is it time for Moore to play ahead of Werner?

Timo Werner is desperate for a goal. The last time he scored was in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa in March. Since joining the club from RB Leipzig in January, initially on a six-month loan and then a year-long extension, he has scored just two goals in 24 appearances across all competitions.

There's nothing wrong with the 28-year-old's application. In the first half against AZ he repeatedly got himself into good positions on the left wing. In the fourth minute he got back on his right foot and sent a cross into the penalty area for Moore, who should have done better with a header.


Despite his best efforts, Werner's lack of self-confidence shows (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Werner's biggest problem is that he seems to panic when he's in the penalty area.

That happened last month in the 3-0 win over Manchester United when he missed two glorious one-on-one chances against Andre Onana. The same situation occurred against the Dutch club when Lucas Bergvall played a fantastic ball with the outside of his right boot that ripped AZ's defense wide open. Werner had space and time for a few extra touches of the ball, but accelerated his attempt and Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro made an easy save.

Werner was a threat throughout with his dribbling, but when he was substituted by Brennan Johnson at half-time his confidence may have been dented.

Step forward, Moore.

The 17-year-old made a good impression on the right wing in the first half, but after the break he was electrifying on the left. He repeatedly dribbled past several defenders at the same time, creating space for his teammates. Seiya Maikuma, a decade older than Moore, must have been giddy at full-time. James Maddison even joked: “I thought we had Neymar on the left wing.”

Moore looks fearless and capable of producing a piece of magic at any moment. Postecoglou has slowly ushered Moore into senior football, but if he continues to perform like this he will overtake Werner in the pecking order sooner rather than later.


Moore was irrepressible (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Will Richarlison benefit from Maddison's generosity?

When the referee awarded Tottenham a penalty in the 52nd minute after Bergvall was fouled by Maxim Dekker, the crowd's cheers were punctuated by a few groans as they saw Maddison and Richarlison arguing over who would take the penalty.

Maddison appeared to have won the argument after Rodrigo Bentancur whispered something in Richarlison's ear, but it was the Brazilian striker who scored.

“Initially we both wanted to take (the penalty),” Maddison told TNT Sports after the game. “I am an experienced player, captain today, and I wanted to take the penalty. But a little thought came to mind: Richy came back from injury. It can be difficult, especially for a striker. I knew that last year when I had a long injury. It took me a while to score my first goal and that really gives me confidence.”

Scoring the goal from the penalty spot to open his account for the campaign will have given Richarlison a huge boost in confidence.


Richarlison and Maddison discuss who will take the penalty (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old has struggled with a calf injury this season and this was only his second start since February. A fully fit Richarlison is a fantastic option for Postecoglou to use from the bench when he needs a goal or Dominic Solanke needs a rest.

The first half was a perfect example of what Richarlison offers this team. He works hard out of possession and brought down Maikuma in AZ's half. Richarlison stole the ball and set up Werner, who fired a shot over the crossbar.

It's important to remember that Richarlison has little skill, but you could still understand why Solanke is the first choice striker. Solanke's technical ability in tight spaces is exceptional and he is able to connect with his teammates much better. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for Richarlison to play and this was an important step in the right direction.

“It will do him a lot of good,” Maddison added.


What now for Dragusin?

The last time he started a game for Tottenham, things didn't go according to plan.

Radu Dragusin was sent off after seven minutes against Qarabag for bringing down striker Juninho, and the only game time he has enjoyed since then was a brief cameo from the bench against Manchester United. Therefore, a runout against AZ was a great chance for him to impress Postecoglou. He seemed nervous at times and made some erratic decisions, but he made some important contributions.

The 22-year-old was Tottenham's deepest field player. When AZ tried to counterattack through Ernest Poku, it was often Dragusin's responsibility to slow down the speedy winger so his teammates could recover. He was aggressive towards Troy Parrott, throwing his body in the way of shots and crosses.

The Romania international also showed his qualities on the ball as he made some clear passes that flew over the AZ defense and into the path of Maddison.


Dragusin tries to challenge (Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Postecoglou wants his defenders to be comfortable on the ball and this is where Dragusin needs to make the biggest improvement. In the second half he spent too long in possession of the ball and had to pass it backwards to Fraser Forster. The ball was passed back via Bentancur to Dragusin, who tried to dribble past Poku, but the winger was unable to tackle him. Bentancur had to run back to block the shot.

If Dragusin can show more composure on the ball, he will push Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven for a regular place in the starting eleven. This performance will have been valuable experience for the centre-back, whose next appearance could realistically be in the Carabao Cup against Manchester City on Wednesday.


What did Ange Postecoglou say?

On Moore’s performance: “It’s kind of hard for me to keep track now, isn’t it? He was exciting. You can't deny that. There's no point in denying it. I love the way Mikey takes everything in stride.

“He works hard every day. He wants to evolve and understands that this is a journey. It's very easy for a young man like him, who just turned 17, to feel like he's somehow made it, but you never get that feeling. It's exciting. You have such a young player who wants that responsibility to have an impact, rather than being a little afraid of making mistakes, as is sometimes the case with young players.

“He is developing well. We have to be careful how and when we use it. That's key, especially in these early stages. I'm not afraid to throw him in. Absolutely not. I see it every day: He is a great young player and there is more to come.”


Postecoglou congratulates Moore (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

What's next for Spurs?

Sunday, October 27th: Crystal Palace (away), Premier League, 2pm UK time, 10:00 a.m. ET

Palace are yet to win the Premier League this season, with Tottenham having lost just once in the league at Selhurst Park since 2015. Will Moore have another chance to impress?

(Top photo: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

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