Tottenham Hotspur have been suffering at the striker position this season. Richarlison is their leading goal scorer, but he has been woefully inconsistent and is now injured, just like old times. Meanwhile, Randal Kolo Muani started the season promisingly and had his seeming breakout moment against employers PSG in the Champions League, but he has become indolent and lethargic, a player who does not want to be at the club.
Dominic Solanke's return from a nagging injury that lasted months and even required surgery, therefore, could not have come at a better time. After a couple of substitute appearances, Solanke finally made his first start of the entire 2025/26 season on a Champions League night this Tuesday with manager Thomas Frank's job on the line.
Frank had controversially subbed out Mathys Tel instead of Kolo Muani for Solanke over the weekend, and with the young talented French forward already begging for a loan transfer out this winter, he then pulled Tel out of the Champions League squad to bring Solanke back in it the day before the Dortmund game.
Dominic Solanke was a difference maker
While Frank should have handled the Tel situation better, he ended up being 100 percent right for immediately getting Solanke into the Champions League squad despite the striker's own inconsistencies and his lack of any starts this season.
Criticizing Frank for his treatment of Tel is correct but criticizing him for anything about Solanke would be wrong. Because Solanke proved to be a difference maker against Dortmund, improving the space the wingers had to take defenders on and make an impact.
And Solanke ended up grabbing a goal of his own in Spurs crucial 2-0 win over the second best team in German football. He was the anchoring point and well rounded presence that Spurs were looking for, physically dominant and intelligent, just as he was throughout the last European campaign in 2024/25 when Tottenham Hotspur took home the Europa League title.
Tottenham are a better team with Solanke at striker, especially when you compare his skill set and how he helps the team to what Richarlison and Kolo Muani were consistently failing to do. A striker with work ethic and playmaking can go a long way, and Frank was absolutely righ to do what he could to accommodate Solanke in the lineup.
After playing 69 minutes on Tuesday, Solanke will soon be inching towards being fit enough for the full 90 minutes, and Tottenham will be better off as a team for it.