Advancements in technology used in football have stretched far beyond running data, but tracking how far players run in a match is still an interesting way of comparing player roles, performances and work rates.
The Premier League is often deemed the toughest league in the world by supporters for its physicality and fast-paced nature, yet Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich blew that concept out of the water with 13.73km covered in a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund recently.
Such a distance ranks higher than any amount set by players in the Premier League this season, yet some of the underlying numbers behind performances show just how physically fit players are.
The hype around Ross Barkley’s 5km run during lockdown, spotted at little over 16 minutes, highlighted the impressive nature of fitness required to play in the Premier League and recent data further emphasises that.
When looking at running statistics in football, it is also worth remembering that players engage in tackles, shots, long-range passes which require more energy than simply running. When you combine those factors to the tactical instructions players are under, we begin to see how impressive their numbers really are.
For Spurs, they have seen a number of notable running performances this season with Dele Alli’s 13.14km versus Liverpool in January the second-highest total behind Leander Dendoncker’s 13.21km versus Brighton and Hove Albion in March.
Here’s a breakdown of Spurs’ top five running performances from matches this season.
5. Christian Eriksen vs Arsenal (12.22km)
The Danish playmaker may have moved on in January, but he has registered three of the top five running numbers for Spurs this season.
12.22km in the North London derby ranks at the 69th highest of any player in the Premier League so far this campaign.
4. Christian Eriksen vs Manchester City (12.25km)
With just 0.03km more, Eriken’s performance against Manchester City in August ranks three places higher than against Arsenal, 66th overall from individual numbers this season.
3. Christian Eriksen vs Brighton and Hove Albion (12.28km)
Just slightly higher again, the Danish midfielder clocked in at 12.28km versus Brighton and Hove Albion in early October.
Despite a big shift from Eriksen, Spurs fell to a 3-0 defeat at the AMEX Stadium.
2. Dele Alli vs Norwich (12.42km)
Alli’s has registered the two highest distances in a single match for Spurs this season and 12.42km versus Norwich City on January 22 ranks 33rd overall.
1. Dele Alli vs Liverpool (13.14km)
The England international ranks highest of any Spurs players for one single match this season and second in the entire league.
Such a notable physical output wasn’t enough to prevent Liverpool winning 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium though.
