Ben Davies helps steady rocky Ange Postecoglou ship after latest 92% display, he is unlikely Tottenham hero
It’s safe to say Tottenham have been embroiled in something of a rocky couple of months after several injuries and results but one man has emerged as an unlikely shining light and that is Ben Davies.
Spurs have suffered damaging blows to the likes of James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Giovani Lo Celso, Yves Bissouma, and Destiny Udogie through injuries and suspensions.
But none of them have quite had the telling absence for Spurs than the loss of Micky van de Ven who had proven a sensational summer capture from Ange Postecoglou after a brilliant start to his Tottenham career.
When the Dutchman went down clutching his hamstring against Chelsea just over a month ago, many Spurs fans would have felt their season was more or less over.
The 22-year-old had been a revelation since his arrival in the Premier League as his partnership with Cristian Romero saw the club turn their defensive fortunes from last season around.
His injury was a major dampener not for Spurs as a whole but for Postecoglou personally who desperately required a left-footed centre-back at the left of his defence.
No one at the club possesses the recovery speed, defensive nous, positioning and duel-winning capabilities van de Ven holds in his weaponry and Postecoglou could well have been forgiven for completely scrapping his tactical playbook.
Not quite, with Postecoglou calling upon rarely-seen player and senior international veteran Davies who many thought simply did not possess the capabilities to even play again at the club.
Fast forward a few weeks and the Welsh international has arguably been the most consistent and reliable performer in Tottenham’s rapidly changing and rocky ship.
Against Newcastle on 10 December, the 30-year-old won 100 per cent of his aerial duels, and two of his three ground duels completed 86 per cent of his passes and played six accurate long balls forward (Sofascore).
The following week against Nottingham Forest was a similar story and the Tottenham Hotspur veteran proved absolutely crucial in registering their sixth clean sheet of the campaign with a masterful display at the City Ground.
Davies led the way for aerial duels won (five), touches (118) and clearances (six) among Spurs players [WhoScored].
Not only did the Wales international stand out defensively, he also registered a shot and was one of four Spurs players to register a dribble.
In a 2-0 win for Tottenham in which Dejan Kulusevski scored one and assisted another and while the Swede took all the plaudits and praise, it was the Welshman who stood out as the unlikely hero.
Davies had matched his season best in terms of aerials won in the 4-1 win over Newcastle United (four), only to then better it versus Forest (five) [WhoScored].
The 30-year-old’s six clearances against Forest was also his best tally of the campaign, while his 102 passes were a joint-best.
That all points towards Davies getting better and better as the season goes on, which is welcome and unexpected in equal measure.
In fact, his displays simply do not get talked about enough when considering how his future at the club fared before the season kicked off and during van de Ven’s tremendous run as a star-studded new signing.
Davies may not be the most glamorous or pleasing-on-the-eye of footballers in the Premier League but what he does best and what Postecoglou has required from him in van de Ven’s absence, he has done with expert aplomb.
Of those 102 passes against Forest, a game-high 10 were defined as long, and seven of those found their intended target – another game-high.
Indeed, as per FBref, Davies ranks in the top one per cent of all centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received.
Across the 90 minutes, Davies won five of his eight ground duels and five of his seven aerial duels, while he also made six clearances. He won two tackles, blocked one shot and was not dribbled past once.
On the ball, he showed just as much quality, completing 92 per cent of his passes, and playing seven accurate long balls forward from the ten which he attempted.
Davies deserves tremendous credit for his progress this season and has been like a new signing for Postecoglou.
Those fans who doubted his future at the club and his defensive qualities must now realise that real superheroes don’t wear capes or in football terms, possess the glamorous technical attributes that fans demand and that is certainly evident through the veterinary and old-fashioned Davies’ resurgence in north London.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs may need a helping hand from Arsenal for their share of a £4.2billion windfall.