Waving flag with Tottenham Hotspur football team logo. Editorial 3D
The 22-year-old Van van Ven was forced off the field during the first half of Spurs’ 4-1 loss to Chelsea on November 6 and did not return for the team’s Saturday 11-1 loss to Wolves.
The Netherlands center back’s prolonged absence was first anticipated, but on November 14, Spurs’ Instagram posted a video of the summer signing while working out and recuperating. But he might be too young for Sunday’s (November 26) match against Aston Villa.Due to suspensions against Wolves, Romero and Destiny Udogie were both absent from Tottenham, meaning Postecoglou was missing three of his four starting defenses for the trip to Molineux.
Romero won’t be back until the beginning of December, but Udogie might play against the Villans now that his suspension has been served.
Due to injuries and suspensions, the Spurs team was exposed, leaving three Under-21 players to fill bench slots. This provided senior players Eric Dier and Davies a chance to make an impression on the Australian coach.Prior to that, both players—especially Dier—had been reduced to bit parts and forgotten members of Postecoglou’s team, and given Tottenham’s appalling defensive performance in the 2022–2023 season (which saw them give up an incredible 63 goals—they may not have much cause for concern.
With his contract expiring in 2025, Davies may feel like he is in a last-ditch situation at this point. With van de Ven still recovering, this is his opportunity to convince Postecoglou that he merits a longer stay.
And in spite of the Wolves’ defeat, he hardly made a mistake. The Wales international made three clearances, five shots were blocked, two interceptions, and three tackles, according to Sofascore, as Spurs dominated the game from behind.
He was victorious in all five of his ground duels and one of his two aerial duels, although he was mostly powerless to stop his team’s two conceded goals. He demonstrated that he could hold his own on the rare times that Tottenham attempted to move forward.
Davies played five long balls forward, four of which were accurate, completed 94% of his passes, and registered one of just six Tottenham shots in total.
Despite not having started many games for Spurs, the 30-year-old put in an excellent solo performance, and he went into the international break with a lot of confidence leading up to Wales.
Davies, though, once more demonstrated on Tuesday (November 21) why Tottenham supporters aren’t persuaded with an abysmal performance at the center of the defense against Turkey.
With only 40% of his duels won (4/10), 11 possession losses, and three fouls, the Spurs defender had the second-worst average rating of any player on the field at Principality Stadium, according to SofaScore.Although Davies completed 78% of his passes and made a crucial pass, he was responsible for Turkey’s crucial equalizer when he tripped over talented Turkish player Kenan Yildiz, giving away a penalty that was easily converted.
In addition to manager Rob Page’s protests, the decision to give the penalty probably drew some jeers and boos from the home crowd. However, it was an instance where Davies let Wales down at a critical juncture by failing to exercise his authority.
When the ball entered his defensive zone, Davies should have been more aware of his surroundings and positioning. This incident undoubtedly demonstrated his lack of match experience and quality at left center-back, and it is a major reason why Postecoglou and Spurs supporters are eager for him to start games.
With the transfer market only a few weeks away, Postecoglou may be forced to make the painful decision to trade him in January as a result of this performance, which will undoubtedly be punished again against Tottenham on Sunday.
Davies needs to stop having moments like Tuesday in his repertoire if he hopes to stake even a modest claim at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
