Has Vertonghen leapfrogged Alderweireld as Spurs' star defender?

Tottenham fans were understandably enthused on Thursday afternoon. News of Hugo Lloris’ contract extension was welcomed by all quarters of the Spurs support, with the club captain arguably the most important member of the current set up. There can be question marks over his overall distribution, but all in all; Lloris is widely considered one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League, if not the world. That being said, the Frenchman boasts sufficient defensive personnel in front of him to ensure that he is rarely tested.

Only Chelsea (11) have conceded fewer goals than Tottenham (12) in the Premier League this season with the defence renowned for their commendable ability to keep opponents at bay. At the heart of the backline is Belgian defensive duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. You’d be hard pressed to find a better pairing in English football at this point in time given their understanding and solidity, but injury to the former suggested that Spurs could well struggle in his absence.

While the performance levels did dip, it wasn’t to cataclysmic effect, with Spurs just one point behind north London rivals Arsenal for Christmas. Rather, Alderweireld’s absence put further pressure on his compatriot to step up to fill the void and Vertonghen did so with aplomb. A WhoScored rating of 7.30 this season is his best in a Premier League campaign since his debut season at White Hart Lane (7.62). While Alderweireld was widely considered the stronger of the two centre-backs, Vertonghen’s performances have stood out following a series of mature outings for Spurs.

After last season’s injury woes, the 29-year-old is one of 13 outfielders to play every minute in the Premier League this term and having impressed in England’s top tier this season, the north London side can count their blessings at Vertonghen’s continued availability. For a team that favours an approach of building attacks out from the back, the Belgium international’s passing quality is essential as Mauricio Pochettino implements a possession-based approach.

Indeed, he’s averaging more passes per game (57.9) than any other Tottenham player in the Premier League this season, while an 84.9% pass success rate also ranks highly at the club, matching one of his three statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of ‘passing’. However, what has stood out the most this season, particularly in Alderweireld’s absence, was Vertonghen’s leadership qualities, which can’t be quantified. Spurs boast one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, so the experience at the back is vital.

This was evident during Alderweireld’s absence, where Pochettino experimented with a three-man defence and Vertonghen largely played alongside Eric Dier when he reverted to a four-man backline. Rather than cower and shirk responsibility, Vertonghen took it upon himself to lead from the back and Spurs are all the stronger for it, particularly once Alderweireld fully recovers from injury.

Moreover, Vertonghen’s proactive approach to defending, especially this season, has been a boost to Spurs. Only Steve Cook (177) has made more clearances than the Spurs defender (162) in Europe’s top five leagues this term, with Vertonghen in the right place at the right time to alleviate the pressure on Lloris’ goal. Ideally, a centre-back would look to play out from the back as to avoid welcoming danger once more, but there’s a time and a place for a defender to clear the ranks and the Belgium international is picking and choosing his time correctly to Spurs’ benefit.

What’s important, though, is that it doesn’t affect his ability to play the ball out from the back, with his passes per game his highest return in a Premier League campaign, despite the number of clearances soaring. Clearly, in time, Vertonghen’s commendable reading of the game has developed as he time and time again moves into the right position to clear the ball away from the Spurs goal. It may not be pretty, but it’s certainly effective when the moment arrives.

Given Spurs’ previous defensive woes, particularly a seemingly unshakable trait to commit errors at the back, it can be a welcome boost that Vertonghen has routinely exhibited the no-nonsense side to his game. As such, Pochettino’s side have committed just one error that has led to an opposition goal in the Premier League this season as they maintain their notable concentration levels to minimise the chances of an opponent hitting the back of the net.

Alderweireld’s absence, as hard as it was for Spurs to counter, could well have been a blessing in disguise for Vertonghen, who looks to have stepped his game up once again. With the former returning to full fitness and the latter excelling at the heart of the Spurs backline, the north London side are all the better for it as Vertonghen comes of age in the club’s pursuit of a Champions League finish.