Three reasons Tottenham Hotspur is happy to have Lucas Moura back

Reason 2: Lucas gives Kane and the midfielders another option

Bryan Gil is a fine winger and may turn into a fabulous player, however, speed is not his game. When you add in Moura opposite Son, suddenly Tottenham has better than average pace on both flanks.

If Spurs were playing a team that was going to sit back and try to defend for the better part of 90 minutes, having the craftiness of Bryan is likely the right move. However, against a team like Arsenal, Moura can really add something through his directness.

Arsenal are going to try hard to push their full-backs Kieran Tierney on the left and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the right up the field. Having speed on both wings to quickly counter-attack in the vacated space left by the fullbacks is going to be vital.

Lucas should be able to cause problems for Arsenal with his runs behind Tierney and then pick up fouls cutting in on Granit Xhaka.

Reason 3: Lucas always gives 100%

No matter how good or bad either or both teams are, when you are playing a rivalry game, almost everything goes out the window except the will to win. Lucas is one player who you know is going to bring it if he steps on the pitch and leaves it out there for his team.

Knowing that Arsenal is going to push up the left with Tierney likely supporting Bukayo Saka, having a player like Lucas who will track back and help defend is a big deal. This is true because Moura is not a token defender, he is a true ball-winner who is likely to make a tackle in the defensive third as he is in the attacking third.

In what is likely to be a grudge match, having a player like Lucas who will bring it for every minute, 1 or 90 he is on the pitch is exactly what Spurs need. Make no mistake, Arsenal is a big game and Spurs need to win. Having Lucas available and on the pitch, certainly helps Tottenham’s chances.