Tottenham: Why Spurs should start Tanganga over Emerson vs Arsenal

With the depth on the squad, not the greatest, Nuno Espirito Santo does not have a ton of calls to make with his Tottenham Hotspur lineup. One call he does have to make is right-back, and Santo should start Japhet Tanganga over Emerson Royal against Arsenal.

With the South American absences and then the injury to Eric Dier, Emerson Royal certainly was called upon earlier and more often than one may have expected when he was first signed. At that point, Japhet Tanganga was playing well at right-back and there were two other back-ups in Matt Doherty and Serge Aurier.

Since then, Aurier’s release, coupled with injuries and absences – which included Tanganga’s red card suspension – has meant a lot of opportunities for Emerson to play. A crafty, forward-thinking defender, Royal has a bright future.

Against Arsenal in this huge derby match, however, Tanganga getting the starting nod is the right choice.

Tanganga is a better defender than Royal

Emerson has immense talent on the ball and is more polished going forward than is Tanganga. However, Tanganga is the more stout defender of the two. In what should be a physical contest having a rugged defender is what you need.

Arsenal is likely to rotate attacking players with Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe, and Emile Smith Rowe all likely to get a shot at attacking Spurs right back. This is before we start talking about the support coming from Kieran Tierney down that same left flank where Arsenal loves to attack. 

Having a defence-first defender on the field at right-back is the smart move and Tanganga is simply a better defender than is Royal right now.

Tanganga should still be Spurs starter by rights

Japhet Tanganga was only moved out of the starting right-back position – after three impressive performances – due to extenuating circumstances. While the red card was his fault – although both cards were slightly dubious – Tanganga only vacated the position for Emerson because he had to provide cover at center-half.

Tanganga was back at right-back during the midweek Carabao Cup match against Wolves and was also back to his hard tackling self.  One could argue that Tanganga’s red card did leave the door open, however, the reality is that Japhet has done nothing with his play to not be the starting right fullback.

Emerson is the more impactful bench option

If Emerson starts, then Tanganga becomes a nice option to come off the bench to help seal out a lead or as an injury replacement. Ultimately, his overall value to the team is diminished as defenders are rarely substituted and as a defence-first kind of guy, Tanganga does not bring much punch off the bench.

Emerson on the other hand is looking to go forward first and then defend second. As we have already seen in just a few matches, his ability on the ball makes him a legitimate option pushing further up the pitch as a midfielder or even an emergency winger.

If Tanganga starts, you have Emerson to bring some energy and spark the club offensively if they need it in the second half as well as a backup defender if one becomes necessary. Royal’s versatility makes him a more valuable asset in this situation on the bench than is Tanganga.

So while NES does not have a lot of calls to make, this is one and the choice should be clear, start Tanganga and have Royal ready if needed.