Ben Davies deserves temporary Tottenham promotion after bright form in recent months
Tottenham look set to be without both their captain and vice-captains in January, meaning a new man will need to step up to the mantle and lead Ange Postecoglou’s side into 2024.
It was an emotional end to 2023 for Tottenham as they beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on New Year’s Eve.
The Cherries arrived in north London in fantastic form, unbeaten in their last seven league matches, but in the end, Spurs were able to see them off and secure another three points, albeit with an admittedly shaky performance.
Long-term club captain Hugo Lloris said goodbye to the Spurs supporters in a special farewell ceremony which took place at half-time, after his transfer to LAFC was confirmed on Sunday (Evening Standard, 31 December), which brings to an end his 11-year stay with Tottenham.
Meanwhile, current Spurs captain Son Heung-min got himself on the scoresheet as he said a farewell of his own, but only temporarily, with the 31-year-old set to join up with South Korea for the Asia Cup this month.
As a result, with vice-captains James Maddison and Cristian Romero both sidelined with injuries and Son away on international duty, Postecoglou will be without all three of his leadership trio, and will therefore need to select a brand-new captain for the month.
Football London reported last week (27 December), that Wales international Ben Davies is the man who is likely to be handed the armband, a decision which would be difficult to disagree with, especially considering the defender’s recent form.
Davies has enjoyed a lengthy run in the Spurs team as of late, playing as a left-sided central defender in Micky van de Ven’s absence, with the 30-year-old putting in arguably some of his finest performances in a Spurs shirt since he joined the club back in 2014.
He was vital once again in the win against Bournemouth. As per Sofascore, Davies blocked four shots, made one clearance, and won four of his five ground duels.
It was a difficult afternoon for the Welshman, who was up against Dominic Solanke, who posed a significant threat in the air particularly, but Davies was still able to win two of his five aerial duels and limit the striker to few clear-cut chances.
On the ball, he was efficient, as he completed 93 per cent of his passes and played two accurate long balls forward.
His bright form certainly deserves recognition and after Lloris’ departure, Davies is now the longest-serving player at Hotspur Way, which makes the decision to name him captain in Son, Maddison and Romero’s absence an even more obvious one.
While he is unlikely to keep his place in the team when van de Ven returns to fitness, that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t done himself justice.
As per fbref, Davies has been in and among some of the Premier League’s best centre-backs this season.
Postecoglou requires defenders who are capable on the ball and can progress up the pitch, with Davies ranking among the top seven per cent of his positional peers in England’s top flight this season for his passes into the final third (7.08 per 90) and the top nine per cent for his total number of progressive passes (5.70 per 90).
Defensively he has rarely put a foot wrong, ranking among the top 12 per cent of Premier League centre-backs this season for the number of tackles he has won (1.50 per 90), the top six per cent for the percentage of dribblers he has tackled (86.7 per cent per 90), and the top four per cent for the number of shots he has blocked (1.40 per 90).
With his stay in the team only likely to be temporary, Davies should at the least be bestowed the honour of wearing the club’s armband over the next few matches as recognition for his impressive displays and service to the club.
In other Tottenham news, Postecoglou is now faced with his toughest selection dilemma yet after what happened in Tottenham’s win over Bournemouth.