Tottenham Hotspur’s ultra-defensive approach has made them struggle this season.
Tottenham Hotspur, who might have one of the best center-back pairings in the form of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the Premier League, have conceded 24 goals in the league, which is the third most goals conceded among the big six clubs of England. The two have played 66 matches together since 2023.
Last season, the pairing kept five clean sheets across all competitions. Under Ange Postecoglou, both defenders found the rhythm that has been missing this season. Thus, as per reports, Spurs are also finding a new center back in the January transfer window in order to bolster their squad.
Spurs find stability in Romero–Van de Ven partnership
However, there has been an impressive stat shared by the two center-backs. According to StatMuse FC (via X), they both have the same number of ‘last man tackles’ in the last three Premier League seasons. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have six tackles apiece, and interestingly, William Saliba, who has been topping the chart also has the same number of tackles.
Cristian Romero joined Spurs from Atalanta back in 2022 for €52m. Since then, he has been a crucial member of the squad. The Argentine World Cup winner has played 145 matches for the North London club and scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists. Romero is also the captain of the side.
Micky van de Ven joined the club a year later than Romero for €40m, since joining he has been impressive with his blistering pace and ball-carrying ability. His ridiculous solo goal against Copenhagen in the Champions League group match in November was voted as Goal of the Month. The Dutch defender has featured in 77 games for the Spurs, scoring nine goals and providing three assists.
This statistic proves that both the Argentine and the Dutch have an excellent combination and thrive under pressure. Romero, who is more of an aggressive defender, often engages in early tackles, and had to be perfectly right with his timing to achieve this unique milestone. On the other hand, Van de Ven has more pace and recovers the ball well. Despite the Spurs’ poor performance and 13th in the table, the two Spurs defenders still top an elite group of defenders over the last three Premier League seasons.