Tottenham Hotspur have a much deeper squad than they did last season, and although they could still use some more attacking talent on the wings in the January transfer window, it's already clear that Spurs are better equipped to go the distance in the Premier League and Champions League this season than in previous years.
They really shine in the middle of the park now with the number of options they have after signing Joao Palhinha and Xavi Simons, and with Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr now playing more prominent roles as key players under Thomas Frank's stewardship.
But where Spurs truly shine is at the center back position, and even though it was against lowly Doncaster in the League Cup, backup central defender Kevin Danso once again showed why he is a great player in his own right.
Stuck on the depth chart behind two literal world-class star center backs in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Danso only occasionally gets to shine because of how much those two have their jobs locked down. But every time he starts, whether in a back four or a back three, Danso reminds everyone why he was considered a burgeoning world-class talent in Ligue 1 for Lens.
He always delivers the goods for Tottenham
Danso was stellar on Wednesday night, putting his body on the line with multiple blocked shots, snapping into tackles when needed, and clearing the ball at a moment's notice. He reads the game so well and isn't far off from Romero in terms of his ability on the ball as a passer, and he was crisp again in this matchup, preventing Tottenham from suffering even the slightest hint of a letdown.
Again, it was just Doncaster, but Danso has been so good for Tottenham time and time again, including in crucial Europa League knockout stage games last season, that you really have to say on quality alone, he is one of the best players on the entire Tottenham roster.
It's just that Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are so good we don't get to see much of the big Austrian defender. But when we do get to see him, Danso never has a bad game, and, more often than not, he is outright great.
There are legitimately only a few starting center backs outside of the Tottenham around the Premier League who are unequivocally better than Danso. He would easily get into the Manchester City, Manchester United, or Chelsea starting lineups if everything were solely based on quality of play, and he's honestly been more impressive than Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate since the start of the 2024/25 campaign. Danso is one of the league's best hidden gems, but Spurs supporters certainly know how good he is first hand.