Taking a closer look at how Tottenham Hotspur’s defenders have performed in the Premier League this season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s defence has come under scrutiny in recent times, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men conceding six goals in their last two matches. So with the international break upon us, now is as good a time as any to take a closer look at how Spurs’ defenders have performed in the league to date.
Using HITC’s formula to calculate defensive contribution by adding up key attributes, it may be a surprise to some that the player who comes out on top is currently deemed not good enough to make the Tottenham starting XI, with Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen picked ahead of him.
Federico Fazio had a worrying start to life at Tottenham but he put those early jitters behind him to form an impressive partnership with Vertonghen.
But the Argentine has missed the last seven league games and that is surprising when you consider his earlier performances.
| Outfield blocks per game | Tackles won per game | Effective clearances per game | Effective headed clearances per game | Duels won per game | Aerials won per game | Interceptions won per game | Total | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federico Fazio | 1.31 | 1.23 | 8.69 | 6.38 | 7.85 | 5.31 | 2.92 | 33.69 | 1,147 |
| Jan Vertonghen | 0.73 | 1.35 | 6.81 | 3.85 | 5.15 | 2.62 | 2.12 | 22.63 | 2,270 |
| Younes Kaboul | 0.55 | 1.27 | 7.55 | 4.45 | 4.45 | 1.82 | 3.09 | 23.18 | 990 |
| Danny Rose | 0.3 | 2.61 | 2.61 | 1.61 | 6.74 | 1.13 | 2.22 | 17.22 | 1,930 |
| Eric Dier | 0.3 | 1.6 | 4.15 | 2.9 | 5.45 | 2.35 | 1.65 | 18.4 | 1,570 |
| Kyle Walker | 0.21 | 2 | 2.79 | 1.86 | 6 | 1.71 | 2.29 | 16.86 | 1,260 |
| Vlad Chiriches | 0.17 | 1.83 | 1.67 | 0.83 | 3.67 | 0.33 | 3.67 | 12.17 | 475 |
| Ben Davies | 0.09 | 1.27 | 2.64 | 1.91 | 3.73 | 1.27 | 1.64 | 12.55 | 764 |
When it comes to averages per league performance, Fazio outperforms his Tottenham teammates in some key areas, including aerials won, duels won and effective clearances both with his feet and with his head.
That sees him come out with a total of 33.69, at least 10 points clear of his closest rival Vertonghen.
It remains to be seen how Tottenham will line up for the rest of the campaign, but Fazio is simply too good to ignore.
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