The latest stat revealed by WhoScored shows just how important Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are to Tottenham.
While most Spurs fans rightly feel that van de Ven and Romero are up there with the best centre-back partnerships across the Premier League, the pair perhaps do not get the credit they deserve from the footballing media.
That is partly down to Tottenham’s perceived defensive weaknesses, with Ange Postecoglou’s men tending to play an open, aggressive style that leaves their backline exposed.
However, a stat has now emerged that shows just how effective the Dutchman and the Argentine have been this season.
WhoScored have now provided the list of the players who have won back possession most times in their defensive third this season.
Both of Tottenham’s centre-backs make the top four, with van de Ven coming in at third with 32 ball recoveries and Romero coming in at fourth with 30 so far this season.
It is interesting to note that the list is dominated by full-backs, with Tottenham’s central defensive pair being out of place. That shows that Spurs’ centre-backs are exposed a lot more to players running at them than their counterparts across the Premier League.
While Spurs are still waiting for an official confirmation on the severity of van de Ven’s injury, this stat shows exactly why the defender will be a huge miss for Postecoglou’s men if he is ruled out for a couple of months.
Given the way Tottenham play, they rely on their centre-backs to be able to defend in one-v-one situations and win the ball.
The eye test suggests that Radu Dragusin is not as good in those situations as Van de Ven is, although the Romanian is strong in duals and reads the game well.
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