Even though Mathys Tel started Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday at striker in the place of the struggling Richarlison while Wilson Odobert was the one who drew the start on the left wing, the duality of their performances serves to highlight that the choice for Thomas Frank should actually be easier than those who have been piling on Tel want to make it seem.
Tel and Odobert both cost Spurs a fair bit of money on the transfer market. Tottenham paid out 25 million pounds to Burnley for Odobert in 2024, while the fee for his French compatriot Tel is a bit fresher in the minds of Tottenham supporters as a 30 million pound deal from Bayern Munich this summer after a relatively successful six-month loan stint that included a Europa League title.
Even though he came from the mighty Bayern and played a key role as Son Heung-min's main injury ersatz to close the 2024/25 campaign, Tel only ended up costing the club about five million pounds more than Odobert. Some Spurs fans will have you think that the club paid out a fortune for him, but they actualy whittled down his final fee to what is essentially a bargain deal.
Both Odobert and Tel have the talent to be top Premier League attacking players, and we have seen flashes of brilliance from both. But Saturday's match against Leeds was a reminder that if Tel is receiving the brunt of the criticism, then it is implicitly because fans, whether they want to admit it or not, have higher expectations for Tel as an ex-Bayern player who was the first to get cracks on the left wing.
Mathys Tel answered the critics
The thing is, both Odobert and Tel are 20 years old, and they are stepping into the shoes of arguably the biggest club legend in Tottenham history and one of the best Premier League forwards of the last decade. That is no exaggeration. So when we offer criticism, it is important to remain constructive and to keep the expectatoins in check.
Tel, in the face of criticism, had an incredible game at striker, scoring a goal with a strong individual effort and then nearly scoring again smashing the crossbar. His positioning isn't where it needs to be as a striker, but, well, he is more of a left winger by trade, and that is why his sterling performance at striker still bodes very well for his ability to be that goal threat on the left-hand side that Spurs are so desperately looking for.
Odobert, meanwhile, didn't have a strong performance out wide against Leeds. Once again, he was invisible, and it feels increasingly like he is too far on the periphery of the game as a winger. He is more of a short-area player with one-twos, nifty touches and turns, and quickness. Odobert is an attacking midfielder still figuring out what it means to be a top-level winger, and that may never click for him. Saturday's match against Leeds was a reminder that between the two in competition on the left wing, Tel is more equipped and more ready to step up and be a difference-maker.