Won 60% Of His Ariel Duels – Why This Belgian Defender Is The Most Important Player For Tottenham This Season

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur have now gone 10 games unbeaten in the league this season and is one of those very few teams in Europe to achieve this record. They have not been able to pick up more than a point in the last three games against Leicester City, Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion and conceded their first goal from open play last weekend against the Champions of England. They are still the most miserly team in the top flight of English football, conceding just 5 goals in 10 games this season 2 of them coming in the last three games. One player who was missing in these fixtures was the Belgian international Toby Alderweireld.

Pochettino’s side have some able replacements in their squad for the back line, but losing the 27-year old was a huge blow for the manager. The former Southampton man started the season in fine form and has been one of the most consistent defenders in the league since the start of the previous season. He has 46 appearances in the league for the club so far in his career and has been a solid presence for the club at both ends of the field. He is a strong center half who loves to dominate his penalty area while his strength in the air makes him a superb fit for the Premier League.

He picked up an injury in the game against West Brom earlier this month and is not expected to be back until the next weekend of Premier League football. His stats show why Tottenham Hotspur missed him so dearly in the game against the Foxes. Ranieri’s men have a decent free-flowing attack but Spurs were expected to hold them out at home. However, they were not strong enough at the back to deserve all three points and were left frustrated with their third consecutive stalemate in the league.

With a pass success rate of 83%, the 27-year old is one of the most commanding center half in the league. He has won 60% of his ariel duels, numbers that are close to the best in the league. Though his successful duels fall down to 51.5%, it is still a number that is on the high side. He has not made a single error so far in his 8 appearances this season and has been a superb buy for Pochettino. He puts in close to a block every game and these are stats that cannot be replaced.

Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen is a decent defensive pairing but Alderweireld adds a bit of a mettle to their defense that helps them cope with some of the best attackers in the league. Alderweireld is now one of the best defenders in the league and is an important part of the Tottenham Hotspur squad who are looking to challenge for the title this season.