It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Season 5, Episode 7. The Gang Wrestles for the Troops. Frank “The Trashman” Reynolds wins by accidentally taking out his opponent, Rickety Cricket, with a sharp-edged trash can. He stands in the middle of the ring, sheepishly raises his arms to the air in celebration as the crowd goes wild.
It was an unintentional success. Danny DeVito’s character looked almost embarrassed by the victory. It was impossible not to draw similarities with Dominic Solanke, who headed in a stoppage-time equaliser at Old Trafford last weekend.
Roberto De Zerbi took his Tottenham Hotspur squad to Manchester United, and they dominated from the outset. Solanke himself should have put the north London side ahead with just two minutes on the clock. He fluffed his lines one-on-one with Senne Lammens. He missed a second guilt-edged chance shortly after the restart. Two ideal opportunities to put Spurs in front in a Premier League match for the first time this season.
Maybe it was a lack of confidence on Solanke’s part. Maybe the pressure from Lisandro Martinez was enough to put the 29-year-old off when Savio played the ball across goal. Not that it mattered when Solanke headed Sandro Tonali’s late cross into the bottom corner to silence the United crowd.
Either way, it was a performance that, again, wasn’t good enough from Solanke. It’s become a running theme this season. That De Zerbi named him captain was also incredibly disrespectful to the supporters who paid their hard-earned money to make the trip to Manchester for a Saturday evening kick-off.
You might say it’s one of the worst decisions that De Zerbi has made during his six months in the capital.
This, after all, is the same Solanke who missed a home North London Derby earlier this year due to a sore throat. One who has scored four league goals across 19 league appearances in 2026. A forward who has been trusted to lead the line while last season’s top scorer has been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League squad.
The issue really is that Solanke hasn’t shown enough to warrant the chance to lead out the team. De Zerbi did reveal that he entrusted the former Bournemouth man with the responsibility that comes with captaining a Premier League side. The duty of skippering one of England’s biggest clubs at one of the country’s most recognisable stadiums.
“After the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him captain to show my confidence and the confidence of the team,” De Zerbi revealed in the week. Had none of the squad’s leadership group been available, then fair enough.
Archie Gray started at right-back. Micky van de Ven was in the matchday squad. The decision was one that left fans scratching their heads. For a team that needs a striker firing on all cylinders, there isn’t much faith in Solanke to carry out the duty. After all, he’s a forward who has scored in back-to-back games just once since his 2024 arrival from Bournemouth.
For a team that needs a striker firing on all cylinders, there isn’t much faith in Solanke to carry out the duty
And a player of his stature who should offer plenty, doesn’t really offer much of anything on the frontline. Solanke has managed just nine shots in the Premier League this season. Just three have been on target. He’s made as many unsuccessful touches resulting in a turnover of possession. Fire the ball into him and, chances are, it’ll bounce away like a trampoline.
In addition, the former Cherries man has won only two of 12 contested aerial duels. Spurs’ No.19 has created just two chances and completed zero dribbles.
This isn’t what Spurs need right now. They require consistency in the final third. A striker to tuck away the goalscoring opportunities they are creating. A player to hold up the ball if required to bring teammates into play. Not one who is desperately out of form and has shown few signs he is capable of turning his fortunes around.
Maybe the goal against United will – finally – kick Solanke into gear. The late header could be a catalyst for better things to come. Lord knows Spurs could do with a fit and firing frontman to haul them away from danger.
Either way, the decision to name Solanke captain at United was a gamble by De Zerbi. He hasn’t shown the requisite consistency, both in terms of availability and performances, to warrant the armband. If he fails to build upon the late equaliser at United, then it will have been a failed experiment by the Spurs boss.
The pressure is now on for Solanke to justify his manager’s decision. More expect him to crumble under the responsibility rather than shoulder the burden.
