Tottenham have looked a noticeably more balanced team since Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino as manager in November.
Despite taking them to the Champions League final last season, poor form in the first half of the current campaign saw Pochettino reach his limit as Spurs boss.
While Mourinho’s appointment surprised many fans, at least he came with the well-known principles on which he has based his managerial career.
For example, he doesn’t take kindly to criticism of his players - unless he is the one doing the criticising. But one thing that is for sure with Mourinho, he will always set up his teams to defend first.
A win as Chelsea boss at Anfield back in 2014 spoiled Liverpool hopes of winning the Premier League title, and the Blues success that day was as much down to how Mourinho set up his team defensively as Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip.
So getting the very best out of his teams from back to front is something Mourinho prides himself on, yet his brief time at Spurs so far has been inconsistent.
Injuries have played a part in that, of course, but it is also fair to say he has struggled to find a preferred back four. However, the combination of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez at the heart of his defence is showing signs of promise, even if it does end up as a short-term fix.
Spurs’ restart haul of four points from games against Manchester United and West Ham is a good start in their late push for Champions League qualification.
From a defensive standpoint, the emergence of Dier and Sanchez might seem just as improbable as those European hopes, but early indications suggest it could be a viable option between now and the end of the season.
Against United, the pair helped limit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to few chances, aside from a strike from Anthony Martial that produced a good save from Hugo Lloris. That effort from the Frenchman earned an xG of 0.31, which shows how impressive a save it was from Lloris.
Nevertheless, Dier and Sanchez provided sufficient protection for most of the game, coming up with 17 interceptions and clearances between them through the 90 minutes.
A further 14 against the Hammers showed a little less defensive involvement than against United, but it nonetheless illustrated how the pair could work together against a different type of threat.
Against West Ham, Dier and Sanchez faced a more direct threat in Michail Antonio than they had experienced against Martial and Marcus Rashford.
In what proved to be a relatively straightforward threat, another successful 90 minutes for Mourinho’s centre-back pairing proved why they may be a good defensive option.
If Spurs are to make a late push for the Champions League places, the continued success of Dier and Sanchez will be crucial.
Fixtures against Arsenal, Leicester and Everton still remain for Mourinho’s side, and that level of test would show whether his latest centre-back pairing have what it takes.
