Rarely have Tottenham been forced to prepare for a north London derby with so many injuries to contend with, at least under Mauricio Pochettino’s watch. The club captain, the Premier League’s joint leading scorer, two of English footballs most exciting young midfielders and the division’s best centre-back have all left Spurs sweating. But if you thought the defender in question was Toby Alderweireld, think again.

Unnoticed by almost everyone bar Tottenham fans, Jan Vertonghen has quietly asserted himself as the leader of Spurs’ notoriously miserly back-line and consistently outshone countryman Alderweireld over the past 12 months. When Saturday comes, Spurs’ hopes of keeping out Arsenal will hinge on Vertonghen – who has played down fears over an ankle problem exacerbated on international duty – more than anyone else.

Vertonghen has been virtually faultless this season, marshalling the Spurs defence (Picture: Getty)

Since Pochettino has switched to a more fixed and definitive back three, Vertonghen – now one of the older statesmen of the squad – has thrived. The change has allowed him to get forward and contribute to build-up with the same sense of purpose and adventure he showed when he first arrived in the Premier League, when he scored six times in his maiden campaign.



Admittedly, the statistics don’t quite bear that out: you have to go back to October 2013 for the last time Vertonghen officially scored for Spurs, against FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League, though that is in part down to some rather cruel rulings by the dubious goals panel. This season he has had plenty of opportunities, rattling the woodwork against Stoke among nine shots from open play.


Vertonghen plays down injury fears Speaking after playing 90 minutes against Japan on Tuesday: ‘Yeah, nothing to worry about. I’ve been struggling for two weeks with it and that’s why I didn’t play against West Ham in the Carabao Cup but all good, I feel very good today, I am ready for the weekend.’

His true worth, though, is in the impetus he provides from deep. Spurs are somewhat unusual in the Premier League in that the emphasis for starting attacks and building play is placed almost exclusively on their centre-backs. At Manchester City, for example, the most prolific passer is Fernandinho. At Arsenal it is Granit Xhaka, at Liverpool Jordan Henderson, at Chelsea Cesc Fabregas and at Manchester United Paul Pogba.

At Tottenham it is Vertonghen. Not just comfortable and confident on the ball, the 30-year-old is the player who most often takes on the responsibility of trying to inject more tempo and positivity to Spurs’ play. When teams have parked the proverbial bus at Wembley this season, it is usually Vertonghen who reacts first and tries to break the lines.

Tottenham's most prolific passers in the Premier League (per game) Jan Vertonghen 73 Toby Alderweireld 69 Eric Dier 61 Christian Eriksen 56 Davinson Sanchez 54 Share

Interestingly, it is in this respect that Alderweireld has lost some of his previous gravitas. He has looked a little less majestic on the ball, while his long, raking passes in behind the defence – usually for Dele Alli to latch on to – have been dialled down. Certainly since rumours have begun swirling about his future, his performances have just lost their edge.

He has still been exceptionally good, of course, but when he suffered the thigh injury that could now sideline him beyond Christmas, pulling up against Real Madrid, many fans will be have been relieved to see it was not Vertonghen or summer signing Davinson Sanchez who lay prone on the ground.

Davinson Sanchez's season so far (all comps) Games started: 11

Games started win rate: 81%

Games started loss rate: 0%

Tackles: 22

Interceptions: 13

Clearances: 59

Passes: 573

Passing accuracy: 90.7%

The Colombian’s arrival especially has added a new dimension to Tottenham’s defence. The Belgian partnership, sometimes spliced by Eric Dier dropping in between them, are incredibly smart and cultured defenders, but if there was one frailty it was their susceptibility to pace in behind.

That could have been exacerbated this season, with Kyle Walker’s bail-out speed now at Man City and Danny Rose still recovering from a long-term injury. But, in fact, Spurs look even more effective at the back now. Where once Spurs’ centre-backs needed to be mindful of space in behind, now Sanchez is often left to deal with that threat singlehandedly. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah have all been stifled by his combination of aggression and outrageous recovery pace.



Tottenham's combined tackles & interceptions (Premier League) Jan Vertonghen 45 Eric Dier 35 Serge Aurier 32 Christian Eriksen 24 Toby Alderweireld 23 Share

That has given Vertonghen and Alderweireld, the former especially, even greater license to push forward and play a higher line. As an aside, it would be remiss to see Sanchez purely as a speed fiend. He has shown game intelligence and composure well beyond his years, remarkable after just a few months in English football, while his passing – nurtured in his year at Ajax – is more reliable than Jose Mourinho’s targeting of him in the Europa League final would have you believe.

Perhaps what has been most encouraging, though, about Vertonghen’s growing stature is the defensive side of his game. Spurs have played far more pragmatically this season, adapting to the different opponents they have face.

Vertonghen, and Spurs as a whole, put on a heroic defensive display home and away against Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Vertonghen was among those hounded by Liverpool’s high press in previous campaigns, but this time around Pochettino played much deeper, opting to counter-attack instead. The Belgian helped mark Roberto Firmino out of the match, shutting down the space available to the Reds’ usually frenetic attackers. Then both home and away against Real he led what was an incredible rearguard, winning every ball into the box and throwing himself in front of shots.

This season, no player in the Tottenham squad has completed more tackles in the Premier League than Vertonghen (23) – though Serge Aurier (3.6 per game) has the best average in the squad – nor has anyone made more interceptions (16). He also leads the team for clearances and blocks.

Ironically, in different circumstances, Vertonghen could have lined up in red on Saturday, but Arsene Wenger opted to sign Thomas Vermaelen instead. In the longer-than-expected absence of Alderweireld, he will be tasked with keeping together the Tottenham backline – starting against Arsenal. But Spurs need not worry. The once swashbuckling defender has become the embodiment of Pochettino’s increasingly pragmatic Tottenham, and a towering presence at the back. You might not have noticed it yet, but he’s the best centre-back in the league right now.