Graham Roberts wowed by ‘outstanding’ Ben Davies display as Tottenham win at Nottingham Forest
Tottenham defender Ben Davies was an unlikely hero in the club’s 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Friday 15 December.
When Micky van de Ven went down clutching his hamstring against Chelsea just over a month ago, many Spurs fans would have felt that 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.
However, while some of Spurs’ immediate short-term results and displays left plenty to be desired in terms of performances at the back, Romero’s return to the team following his three-match suspension has seen the club get back on track and concede just three in three, after shipping seven in three without him.
Not only has the World Cup winner’s return to action helped improve results, but his presence in the back four has also brought the best out of Davies, with the two players building a formidable partnership alongside each other in van de Ven’s absence.
In fact, the Welshman’s recent displays have been so impressive that they might have left Postecoglou wondering if van de Ven should walk straight back into the team upon his return to action.
Against Newcastle, Davies was key, with Spurs unlucky not to keep a clean sheet as Eddie Howe’s side capitalised on a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg mistake in stoppage time and scored through Joelinton. 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).
During the win at Forest, Tottenham did get their clean sheet, and Davies’ performance levels went up a notch, which saw him earn praise from former Spurs defender Graham Roberts, who shared his delight at Davies’ display via his official X platform (15 December).
Roberts labelled the Wales international as “outstanding” and the stats suggest that it is hard to disagree with the two-time FA Cup and one-time UEFA Cup winner.
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.
While Van de Ven is certainly a miss, Davies has stepped up and softened the blow, and certainly proved to Spurs fans that the season is by no means over and that he is more than capable of doing a job in the Dutchman’s absence.
In other Tottenham news, a 100 per cent ace for Spurs’ women’s team has rediscovered her form in the nick of time.