![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] April 27, 2025; Anfield, Liverpool, BRITAIN; Tottenham Hotspur player Dominic Solanke in action with Liverpool player Ryan Gravenberch in a Premier League match. Mandatory Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters via Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2271,h_1277/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/208/01kgg8t3jqp1h7c9sdp6.jpg "[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] April 27, 2025; Anfield, Liverpool, BRITAIN; Tottenham Hotspur player Dominic Solanke in action with Liverpool player Ryan Gravenberch in a Premier League match. Mandatory Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters via Imagn Images")
Dominic Solanke missed the first half of the Tottenham Hotspur season with a nagging foot injury that required surgery but still was slow to heal. His return in January 2026 has proven to be an even bigger boon to the side than initially expected, as Solanke has been directly responsible for points in big games against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
If the Dortmund game was Solanke announcing his presence, then the recent 2-2 draw with Man City was Solanke reaffirming his importance to the side 18 months after making a record breaking 65 million pound move from Bournemouth that was widely controversial at the time.
The Europa League winner, though, showed his true value to Tottenham supporters on Sunday against Pep Guardiola's defense, scoring both goals to tie the game in the second half, including an outrageous Scorpion Kick finish that made Olivier Giroud eat his heart out.
Tottenham are getting more benefits
Solanke's goals have been one big part of the equation for sure, but Tottenham, in large part, signed him for the benefits he would provide the rest of the squad. The talented former Chelsea and Liverpool prospect is one of the most well rounded strikers not just in the English Premier League but in the world.
The man he replaced as the starting No. 9 - the currently injured Richarlison - was the opposite. Richarlison was slow, lethargic, and unable to run the channels or create for his teammates. He was a one dimensional poacher lapping up easy goals from his teammates - and he was a fairly mediocre one at that.
Dominic Solanke, meanwhile, is already on pace to blow Richy out of the water as a goal scorer while being infinitely better as an all around striker. He is more explosive, significantly stronger, more consistent at trying to win back possession, and far superior from a passing and technical perspective.
Young winger Wilson Odobert has blossomed on the right side to a whole new level at the same time as Solanke has returned to health and form, and you can only imagine what Mathys Tel would then do on the left playing alongside Big Dom once Thomas Frank finally gives up on the farce of starting Randal Kolo Muani next to the England international.
With all due respect to Richarlison, Solanke has totally opened up the offense in comparison to the Brazilian. And the gulf between Kolo Muani, who barely seems to care about Spurs at this point, and Solanke is too vast to even begin to describe.