Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will be important players for Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal in the North London derby.
Liverpool legend Phil Thompson explained on the Soccer Saturday show on Sky Sports News HQ on Saturday afternoon how Tottenham Hotspur defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are different from each other.
“Vertonghen is a very good footballer, but sometimes lacks the heart and passion to commit to making challenges, while Alderweireld likes the battles,” said the former Liverpool defender.
It is an interesting observation from Thompson about the two Tottenham centre-backs, but do stats support his view?
Alderweireld, 26, who joined Spurs from Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window, has made six successful tackles and 16 unsuccessful ones in 11 Premier League appearances.
Fellow Belgium international central defender Vertonghen has made 15 successful tackles and 29 unsuccessful ones in 11 league matches.
North London derby
Both Vertonghen and Alderweireld will start for Tottenham against Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday.
For Spurs to get a positive result from the Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium, the two centre-backs will have to be at their best.
Arsenal are second in the league table at the moment, while Tottenham are sixth.
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