The mystery omission of Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez

Tottenham’s most athletic and quickest centre back was puzzlingly omitted from the starting lineup against Southampton, a move that cost Jose Mourinho. 

As perplexing as it is frustrating, Sánchez looked on from the bench as elder statesmen Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld re-established their partnership at the heart of the rearguard. Sánchez is not the finished article and has his flaws, but his oft erratic tendencies are usually offset by Toby’s experience and mind for the game.

The days of Jan and Toby lining up as Tottenham’s starting centre backs together are long gone. Too slow and laboured, Vertonghen’s presence hampers Toby’s overall output. The younger of the Belgium centre backs is, by having to compensate for Jan’s sluggishness, pre-occupied.

Sanchez’s speed provides Tottenham with an escape route, an emergency sprinkler system. He is renowned for making up ground on the sprint, affording Tottenham’s other defenders a slightly wider margin of error. His last-gasp defending is needed. It shouldn’t be, but it is and Mourinho must recognize the importance of having a centre back with breakneck speed in the team.

It’s impossible to ignore Tottenham’s overall lack of pace down the spine of defence when Sánchez isn’t playing. Premier League sides are often fitted with at least one fleet of foot striker, who must lick their chops at the prospect of playing against a Jan and Toby partnership.

Long balls, with a speedy centre back, are easy to combat and nullify. But long balls can cause unnecessary fits for sides devoid of pace at the heart of defence.

I’m not saying Spurs would have kept a clean sheet had Sánchez played. Their record of no away clean sheets this season automatically debunks that theory. But Sánchez offers more agility, mobility and athleticism than the veteran duo. He compliments nicely their attributes.

You cannot, no matter the opponent, afford to start an aging, slower, similarly outfitted central defensive pairing. Toby is no slouch, but his top speed pales in comparison to Davinson’s.

Pace can make up for a lot of deficiencies. Southampton exposed Spurs’ somewhat laggard central pairing, which would have been a non-issue had Sánchez taken his rightful place in the starting team.