Tottenham lost 1-0 to Besiktas with a makeshift defence.
When Tottenham played Besiktas at White Hart Lane, it was a disaster for Vlad Chiriches.
His air kick and subsequent handball gave away a late penalty and saw Spurs slip to a draw. He was criticised by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and dropped for almost two months.
He has been playing recently at right-back, but got a chance at centre-half in the final Europa League group game away to Besiktas alongside Younes Kaboul with the team rotated.
| Match | Won Tackles | Interceptions | Aerial Duels Won | Accurate Crosses | Shots Blocked | Assists | Goals | Total | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vlad Chiriches | Besiktas v Tottenham | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 90 |
| Younes Kaboul | Besiktas v Tottenham | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 90 |
| Danny Rose | Besiktas v Tottenham | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 90 |
| Kyle Walker | Besiktas v Tottenham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 77 |
Chiriches was Tottenham’s best defender on the night, outshining club captain and central defensive partner Younes Kaboul.
He made a team high nine interceptions, and no other defender matched him in terms of aerial duels won, or tackles made. The Romanian was one of only two defenders to block one of Besiktas’ goalbound efforts.
Kyle Walker may have struggled to make an impact defensively, but his qualities showed going forward, the only Spurs defender to deliver accurate crosses into the box.
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