The case for the defence

After Dele Alli had slotted in the second goal against Southampton at the weekend just before half-time, the final forty-five minutes played out with no hint that the lead would be overturned. Tottenham’s midfield controlled the game and the back four were impenetrable, ensuring we could relax and actually enjoy the second half without a sense of panic.

This is not a familiar feeling for Spurs fans. Swashbuckling attacking has never been backed up with reliable defending, and our habit of winning only the difficult way and shipping goals when in an apparently dominant position has been so long-established that the term ‘spursy’ has become common usage among football fans.

[linequote]The assured presence of Alderweireld has taken pressure off Vertonghen, and the 28-year old has looked his bold, error-free best alongside his compatriot[/linequote]

But this year’s team looks different. Having conceded just fourteen goals in seventeen games, Spurs possess the joint-best defence in the lead; keep conceding at this rate (0.8 goals per game) and the number of goals will be just 31 come the end of the season. To put that into perspective, no Tottenham team has completed a whole league season conceding less goals than games played since 1970/71.

Which begs the question: what’s made this year’s team so uncommonly solid?

The obvious answer is Toby Alderweireld, who has been outstanding since his arrival in the summer. He’s a complete defender, dominant in the air and with enough pace to discourage balls in behind, and one who reads the game so well that he rarely looks under any pressure. He’s also been our most reliable performer, not making a single major mistake since conceding one rash penalty against Stoke in August.

But equally important has been the fact that he’s played every league game, all alongside Jan Vertonghen. We’ve seen similarly fine defenders in the past, but having two playing regularly alongside each other is unprecedented in recent history – the likes of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate were always too injury-plagued to offer the kind of continuity this pair does.

Vertonghen has always been a quality defender, but one who has suffered during his Spurs career through being paired alongside a parade of dodgy partners, and sometimes being cast out to an unwanted left-back position. But the assured presence of Alderweireld has taken pressure off him, and the 28-year old has looked his bold, error-free best alongside his compatriot.

It’s a partnership that not only benefits from prior experience together (the pair have played alongside each other for both the national Belgian team and at Ajax), but also complementary styles; Vertonghen as a left-footer who likes to play on the front foot and go in for tackles, Alderweireld as the right-footer who sweeps up everything behind him.

[linequote]Although the squad’s resources will be tested should any of these players get injured, for now this looks like the best defensive set up we’ve had for decade[/linequote]

Of course, a good defence isn’t comprised solely of the two centre-backs, and throughout the pitch the team have been a tight, miserly unit. Perhaps because of the extra competition provided by Kieran Tripper and Ben Davies, or perhaps because of the extra security provided by the team’s more defensive approach, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose have been more dependable defensively whilst not compromising on their attacking threat. And Hugo Lloris has continued to make the logic-defying saves that has defined his time at the club – only this time less frequently thanks to the improvement of those in-front of him.

In midfield, extra caution has been taken through the addition of Eric Dier, who, like the centre-backs he protects, has been (virtually) an ever-present. Spurs’ teams of recent history have rarely played with such an out-and-out defensive midfielder, and, though perhaps a contributing factor for the numerous 0-0s this season, has made the midfield very difficult to bypass (and arguably another reason for the full-backs’ improved performances).

Then there’s the vastly improved form of Moussa Dembele, who has made more tackles per game (3.9) than all but two players in the league, and the introduction of Delle Ali, a ball-winner who provides another sturdy level of ball-winning defense further up the pitch for opposition teams to bypass.

Although the squad’s resources will be tested should any of these players get injured, for now this looks like the best defensive set up we’ve had for decades. Just another factor of Pochettino’s Spurs that feels so different from recent incarnations.