Marcus Edwards Scores on Tottenham U23 Return
By Ryan Wrenn
Tottenham youngster Marcus Edwards scored a fine goal in Sunday’s Premier League 2 meeting against Liverpool’s under-23s.
It was the youngster’s first since returning from an ankle injury sustained in October that took him out of contention for both the Academy and potential action with the Tottenham first team.
Spurs traveled north to Liverpool six days prior to the respective club’s first teams meet at Anfield. The teams’ previous meeting in September ended in a 6-2 defeat for the home Spurs side.
Edwards started in that last game as well, scoring the first of Spurs’ goals and assisted the second.
Here, Edwards started from the left wing of a 4-1-4-1 formation. Regular matchday squad members Josh Onomah and Cameron Carter-Vickers also started, along with fellow promising Academy players Shilow Tracey, Kyle Walker-Peters and Nathan Oduwa.
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It was Edwards himself who again opened Tottenham’s account, scoring the first goal of the match in the 18th minute. The visitor’s lead was doubled when William Miller scored seven minutes later.
Unfortunately Tottenham couldn’t hold on for long. Liverpool pulled one back before half-time, then leveled things out almost immediately after the interval. Former Academy player Kevin Stewart would score the winning goal for Liverpool in the 82nd minute.
As discouraging as a loss might be, Edwards’ return to action is nothing but positive for Tottenham. Prior to his injury he was slated to play at least play a role in the club’s domestic cup matches, and perhaps might have even earned his Premier League debut.
If that seems unreasonable for a player who only just turned 18 in December, remember that Mauricio Pochettino casually compared him to Lionel Messi as recently as September. Many inside and outside the club advocate for him being rushed into first team action, especially after he signed a new contract over the summer.
With the second half of the season gearing up though, it is unclear just how much room there would be for Edwards. Tottenham’s upcoming FA Cup match against Fulham stands out as the best chance.
Pochettino’s willingness to give minutes to young players has a way of defying such expectations however. Dele Alli came into the side last summer with plenty of hype but no clear path to the starting XI. By November he was an fixture in the team and has hardly looked back since.
Though not quite as meteoric, Harry Winks’ ascent from the Academy to reliable substitute this season should be similarly encouraging for Edwards.
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More matches with Tottenham’s under 23 squad will help Edwards get his feet back on the ground regardless of his immediate prospects with the first team. By the summer he should be on pace for more and better opportunities.