Both Emerson Royal and Djed Spence found the net as their clubs stormed into the FA Cup fifth round this weekend. The nature of the two goals, however, were like chalk and cheese. A deflected cross, looping over a bamboozled goalkeeper on one hand, and a wonderfully worked team-goal, finished off with the composure of a seasoned centre-forward on the other.
Emerson’s wide-eyed celebration told it’s own story.
After a difficult debut season in English football, the much-maligned Brazil international needed something to go his way. And Lady Luck was certainly shining down on him as Brighton travelled to the capital on Saturday evening, Emerson enjoying a huge stroke of luck as a rather aimless punt into the penalty area ricocheted off Solly March and into the far corner of the net.
“I think his performance was really top tonight. He played very well. And it’s important for his confidence,” Antonio Conte tells Football London after a 3-1 win which set up a fifth-round tie with giant-killers Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
“Don’t forget that also Emerson is only 23 years old. And to come here and play in another league is not simple. Emerson is a good player and knows very well that there’s space for improvement.
“To score a goal was important for the confidence, for himself and especially for the team.”
If Emerson has struggled for self-belief in recent months, the same certainly can’t be said of Djed Spence.
Just look at the way he took his chance during Nottingham Forest’s 4-1 thumping of Leicester City on Sunday. Racing into the penalty area after a free-flowing Forest move tore Brendan Rodgers’ defence apart like damp tissue paper, the rampaging right-back ignored team-mate Keinan Davis and slotted the coolest of finishes underneath the advancing Danny Ward.
Is Djed Spence set for Tottenham after FA Cup heroics?
Yes, Emerson played his part in one of Tottenham’s most complete performances of the Conte era some 24 hours earlier.
But it is hard to imagine the £25 million summer signing from Barcelona capping a superb team-move with such class and composure.
It’s been a feature of his performances in Tottenham colours; Emerson finding himself in promising positions only to fall apart when the pressure’s on. Like a FIFA novice pressing ‘circle’ when ‘square’ would suffice.
How far can Forest go?
According to ESPN, Tottenham made two bids for the £15 million-rated Spence during the January transfer window.
One suspects he will have nothing but good things to say about the London-born full-back after Spence followed a superb performance in the third-round victory over Arsenal with an even better display against the 2021 FA Cup winners.
Few will be surprised if Spurs come calling again come the summer. Emerson Royal, then, has three months to prove that his swashbuckling Brighton display is no false down.
Three months to show why Daniel Levy should keep his chequebook in his pocket. Three months to show why Spence isn’t needed in North London.
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