Kane, Son, Kulusevski, and Richarlison; Tottenham’s new attacking quartet

When 1-0 down at Chelsea, Antonio Conte handed Richarlison his competitive Tottenham debut in an effort to change the game and, in doing so, surprised most, if not all, Spurs fans.

Rather than withdrawing one of Kane, Son, or Kulusevski, Conte replaced Ryan Sessegnon, switching formation to an unfamiliar back four and allowing our quartet of attacking talent to grace the field simultaneously.

What followed was a concoction of attacking force met with disastrous defending, but ultimately, Conte’s plan worked as we left Stamford Bridge with an unlikely point.

Conte and Tottenham’s tactical shift was undoubtedly the catalyst for rescuing a point, which in truth felt more like a win; however, now we fans can get excited, knowing the Italian isn’t against fielding all our star forwards at once.

When Richarlison joined the club, many fans asked the obvious question; where will he play?

Last season, Kane, Son, and Kulusevski cemented their place in the side, ending the campaign with 26, 30, and 13 goal contributions, respectively.

Richarlison, playing in a struggling Everton side, finished 2021-22 with 15 goal involvements; 10 goals and five assists, the poorest return of the four considering Kulusevski played just 18 games, so his arrival for £60 million raised some well-justified eyebrows.

Many argued that Tottenham is set for a heavy load this season, and with Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cup football Richarlison is simply a high-quality backup option and super-sub – presumably in place of one of our current three forwards.

The idea of our four attackers playing together is undeniably exciting; however, in truth, if ever, it’s something I hadn’t expected to see for a while, and certainly not against Chelsea.

However, Conte showed he isn’t afraid to take a risk on Sunday. Now we, and other sides, know the option for four out-and-out attackers is a real possibility, offering Tottenham a different dimension to break sides down.

Last season, at times our creativity and attacking threat was bleak, as we even went back-to-back games without a shot on target against Brentford and Brighton with no attacking force outwith Kane, Son, and Kulusevski.

While it’s unlikely Richarlison will start most games, having a genuine threat off the bench and the capability to change shape mid-match is an excellent tool for the future, as an extra body in attack is ultimately bound to lead to more chances, shots, and goals.

Certainly, there is still work to be done, as in the 20 minutes the quartet was on the field, we were far from perfect, often losing our shape and conceding a worrying amount of chances.

But if Conte can coach the side to be adaptable, Kane, Son, Kulusevski, and Richarlison are possibly the best-attacking quartet in the league. Against inferior opposition with less attacking threat, an extra man in attack can be afforded with less risk when defending.

For now, we can revel in the brief stint our four attackers playing at once and be excited for the future in the know that Conte isn’t against throwing some caution to the wind and letting Kane, Son, Kulusevski, and, Richarlison cause the chaos they are capable of.