Tottenham’s second choice right-back showed why he believes he should be playing regularly in the Premier League.
Tottenham full-back Kyle Walker didn’t hold back in midweek when quizzed about his future.
He told the Mirror: “I am 25 and there is a stage that you reach when you think, ‘Well, am I going to be No 1?’ That is what I am looking for. I want to be playing every single week. I want to be playing regularly.
“I am not sure what is going to happen, but if I can’t hold down a first-team spot then I do have to look elsewhere. I am not going to lie – I am a right-back. That is the position I want to play in, but it has been difficult with Kyle Walker doing so well.”
Well it would be perfectly timed for Naughton that Walker was unavailable for Spurs with a hip injury which Time Sherwood confirmed will keep him out of England’s midweek friendly.
And Naughton certainly stepped up, showcasing why he feels he deserves a first choice spot, if not at Spurs then elsewhere.
Statistics from the 1-0 win over Cardiff City illustrate that in three areas he performed so well, it bettered any of Walker’s performances this season.
Passing Accuracy
| Player | Match | Matchday | Team | Passing Accuracy % | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Naughton | Spurs vs Cardiff | 28 | Spurs | 93.02 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Hull | 09 | Spurs | 91.67 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Arsenal vs Spurs | 03 | Spurs | 90.32 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Man City vs Spurs | 12 | Spurs | 87.80 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Chelsea | 06 | Spurs | 87.50 | 90 |
Naughton recorded a better pass accuracy against Cardiff than Walker has done in any Premier League game this season.
Crossing
| Player | Match | Matchday | Team | Accurate Cross | Crossing Accuracy % | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Naughton | Spurs vs Cardiff | 28 | Spurs | 3 | 42.86 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Man Utd | 13 | Spurs | 3 | 25.00 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Crystal Palace vs Spurs | 01 | Spurs | 2 | 66.67 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Swansea vs Spurs | 22 | Spurs | 2 | 50.00 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Newcastle | 11 | Spurs | 2 | 40.00 | 90 |
Naughton equalled Walker’s accurate cross total in an individual game, however doing so from fewer attempts.
Penalty box entries
| Player | Match | Matchday | Pen Area Entries | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Naughton | Spurs vs Cardiff | 28 | 9 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Crystal Palace | 21 | 4 | 48 |
| Kyle Walker | Crystal Palace vs Spurs | 01 | 4 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs West Brom | 18 | 4 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Spurs vs Man Utd | 13 | 3 | 90 |
Naughton played more than twice as many passes into the penalty area against Cardiff than Walker has done in any game this season, further illustrating his attacking virtues.
Defensively, he completed four successful tackles – which matched Walker’s season best.
Playing so well consistently is now the challenge for Naughton, but the problem is, he may not get an opportunity to do so. Despite his positive performance, we would still expect Tim Sherwood to call Kyle Walker back into the team after the international break.
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