Player Focus: Kyle Walker's Return to Form for Tottenham

Last summer, Tottenham secured the services of Ben Davies. Danny Rose was the club’s undisputed first choice left-back, but his form was inconsistent, at best. The capture of the Wales international swelled Mauricio Pochettino’s options in this position, with many a fan believing Davies would come in to replace Rose. While the Welshman briefly usurped his teammate, Davies’ arrival has instead seen Rose's performance levels increase.   

The Englishman’s WhoScored rating (7.23) was the third best of all Spurs players in the Premier League last season, with the 25-year-old enjoying one of his best campaigns to date. On the opposite flank, Pochettino had a similar problem with regards to underperformance. Kyle Walker had become comfortable in his position as first choice right-back. The England international may have endured his share of injury concerns, but it was fair to say the 25-year-old’s performances had worryingly dipped. 

Walker required competition in order to up his game once more. That came in the form of Kieran Trippier. He signed from Burnley following a commendable debut campaign in England’s top tier, yet while he has established himself as the club’s starting right-back in the Europa League, he’s so far been unable to usurp Walker from the starting XI in the Premier League. After two injury hit campaigns, the consistency in Walker's game looks to be returning. 

His WhoScored rating (7.15) is his best since the 2012/13 campaign (7.16) and the fifth best of those to make at least 10 starts at right-back in England’s top tier this term. He’s played a key role in a Spurs side that boasts the joint-best defence in the Premier League, with the North London outfit’s 14 goals conceded level with Manchester United and Arsenal.  

Meanwhile, his assist for Dele Alli’s goal in the 2-0 win over Southampton on Saturday contributed to his WhoScored rating of 8.16, enough to feature in the Premier League team of the week. While the end product in his game still leaves a lot to be desired at times - Walker has directly contributed to just two of the club’s 28 league goals this season - the young full-back is beginning to rediscover his best form for Pochettino’s team. 

Notable improvements have been made to Walker’s defensive qualities, which was one of the aspects of his game that was denying him from realising his potential. The English defender is one who is keen to press forward and help support the attack. Given Pochettino favours a 4-2-3-1 system with inverted wingers, it’s crucial that the full-backs provide width to the attack to help stretch the opposition, which Rose and Walker do impressively. 

However, this in turn can run the risk of both players being caught upfield and Spurs being left short at the back. Eric Dier’s rise and fine form in the middle of the park has helped ease the defensive burden on the pair, but this does not mean that the responsibilities were to be shunned completely. Walker indeed has the pace to recover and return to his position at right-back, but the poor concentration that restricted his development often left the defence outnumbered. 

Under Pochettino, though, Walker has begun to improve at the back. Only four players - three of whom are central midfielders - have made more interceptions than Walker (49) in the Premier League this season. The Spurs ace has won possession in the defensive third a commendable 72 times this term, a figure only Glenn Whelan (75) and Laurent Koscielny (80) have bettered. With Pochettino demanding a high-pressing approach to defending in a bid to rob the opposition of the ball and instigate swift attacks, Walker is the ideal right-back at his disposal right now. 

While his distribution is questionable to say the least - a 79.3% pass success rate is hardly ideal for a player in his position and only invites pressure on Hugo Lloris’ goal - the improvements to the defensive side of his game are clear for all to see. The arrival of Trippier ensured Walker had sufficient competition for a starting spot and this, in turn, has seen the latter once more nail down a regular place in Pochettino’s XI, injury or suspension permitting. 

Of course, the arrival of Toby Alderweireld on the right side of defence has helped Walker, with the Belgian’s reassuring presence alongside Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the backline aiding the club. Yet Walker deserves ample credit for the way he has taken it upon himself to re-establish his position as a key player for Spurs. With Euro 2016 looming and the club hoping to secure their first top-4 finish since 2012, his performances will go a long way to achieving the player and club’s aspirations this term.

How important do you think Kyle Walker is to Tottenham's top-4 hopes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below