QPR defender Steven Caulker and Tottenham Hotspur star Eric Dier will create an interesting comparison this weekend.
Queens Park Rangers against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend is the only Premier League fixture taking place.
It’s a great match up between a side scrapping at the bottom of the table and one competing for a Champions League place ahead of next season.
There are going to be several key battles over the course of this game, with one coming in defence and a contrast between former Tottenham centre-half Steven Caulker and current Spurs star Eric Dier.
| Position | Team | Outfielder Blocks | Won Tackles | Effective Clearances | Interceptions | Aerial Duels | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Caulker | DF | QPR | 1.16 | 0.8 | 9.28 | 2.2 | 3.76 | 25 | 2,205 |
| Eric Dier | DF | Tottenham | 0.29 | 1.76 | 3.47 | 1.53 | 2.18 | 17 | 1,300 |
The stats between the pair in several key areas suggest that Caulker is way ahead of Dier, which can be explained through the fact he has played more games.
Caulker has more blocks, more clearances, more interceptions and more aerial duels based on games so far this season.
The one area Tottenham’s current defender is ahead of Caulker is in terms of tackles, which suggests he’s more willing to get stuck in and take risks in big games.
Dier is also in his first Premier League season whereas Caulker has much more experience of English football.
Whichever defender has a better game this weekend will more than likely be on the winning side and it’s a good chance to see whether all parties have moved on from when Caulker was a loyal Tottenham employee.
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