Tottenham’s Alderweireld vs Aston Villa’s Richards; who comes out on top?

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Spurs host struggling Villa at White Hart Lane on Monday.

Monday Night Football sees Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa, with the two sides taking in contrasting seasons so far.

Spurs find themselves unbeaten since the opening weekend and pushing the top four, while Villa are winless since the opening game and rooted to the foot of the table.

Both sides were keen to improve their defences over the summer, with Spurs moving to secure Belgian Toby Alderweireld and Villa snapping up Micah Richards on a free transfer.

Both have instantly become key players in the heart of their respective back fours, but who has been the most impressive? We decided to compare the stats to see who comes out on top.

And despite his side’s struggles, it’s a surprising victory for Richards on this occasion as he comes out on top in six key defensive areas.

The former Manchester City man has managed to register more tackles per game and more successful tackles per game this season, as well as considerably more interceptions.

Clearances have also proved to be a strong point for him, with him registering more effective clearances, headed clearances and effective headed clearances compared to his Belgian counterpart.

It is not all bad news for Alderweireld, though, as he manages to steal a narrow victory when it comes total clearances per game.

A clear victory for Richards in this battle then, as he manages to come out on top in a number of areas, but that is probably down to the fact that he has been far the busier this term.

Who comes out on top in Monday’s battle is sure to play an important role, however, in which side secures all three points.