Tottenham Hotspur meet Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon, and though fans were delighted with a win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, this is a different test entirely.
Unai Emery's high-flying side perch five points ahead of Spurs, who have only won four of their nine top-flight fixtures thus far. They were defeated by Crystal Palace, who were previously winless, last weekend.
While Ange Postecoglou and his squad are hardly in dire straits, there is a feeling that defeat in north London against the Villans - for the second season running - would place a sour taste in the fanbase's proverbial mouth.
It'll be a tough test indeed, there are no two ways about it. Aston Villa are unbeaten on the road in the Premier League this term and have only been beaten by Arsenal, way back in match-week two.
Moreover, Micky van de Ven has picked up another injury and faces a spell on the sidelines. Fans can only hope that it doesn't prove to be a detrimental blow.
Micky van de Ven's injured - again
Van de Ven is a fantastic footballer, endowed with the highest calibre of athleticism and keeping things crisp from Tottenham's backline, one of the sharpest distributors in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has been plying his craft in the English capital for over one year now, joining from German side Wolfsburg in a £43m deal in August 2023. He's been brilliant; it's quite easy to forget how porous Spurs were in defence before his advent.
Indeed, the Dutchman ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs in the English top flight this season for assists, the top 14% for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref. Such metrics underscore the complete nature of his skill set.
He's a singular player, irreplaceable, even. His lightning-quick pace and muscular physique make him the prototypical defender to nullify Aston Villa's frontline, with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, once he is inevitably unleashed past the hour mark, certain to be emboldened by his absence.
Tottenham worries have been compounded by the potential absence of Cristian Romero too, with Postecoglou revealing that the Argentine titan was left feeling "a bit sore" following the victory over City.
That eventuality is bound to send a frisson of fear lancing through Lilywhites supporters near and far. Although, saying that, it's not all doom and gloom.
Radu Dragusin is set to start in central defence, regardless of Romero's fitness. The 22-year-old Romanian won his only ground duel against City on Wednesday, as per Sofascore, also making five clearances to keep the visitors at bay.
Who else to promote to the rearguard? Archie Gray is one option, but he's young and inexperienced, and would not fare well in a moonlit position against a team like Villa.
Ben Davies, then.
Ben Davies could replace Van de Ven - again
Davies has been at Tottenham for some time. In July 2014, the Wales international arrived from Swansea City in a swap deal worth £10m.
He's been a loyal servant down N17. A decade later, Davies, now aged 31, has made 335 appearances for the north Londoners, scoring nine goals and supplying 23 further assists.
An 89-cap international, he's as experienced as they come and hardly averse to playing from the outset in the Premier League - albeit, Postecoglou is yet to dispatch him in the league this season.
That said, Davies has played every minute of Tottenham's Europa League campaign so far, keeping a clean sheet at centre-back against AZ Alkmaar last time out.
As per Sofascore, he's completed 91% of his passes across those three fixtures while averaging 85 touches per game. This bodes well for Davies' potential replacement of Van de Ven, for he's not afraid to star at the centre of the action in central defence and is a top-class passer besides.
He's also proven himself to be capable of stepping in for the Netherlands star last season, proving to be something of a hero during the threadbare spell of Spurs' 2023/24 season, when Van de Ven was sidelined throughout the winter period.
The £80k-per-week ace is of course not as good as Van de Ven. He's not as mobile, and nor is he blessed with the same athletic prowess. Having said that, though, the Welshman's metrics do align quite nicely when contrasting them against his Spurs positional peer, as you can see below.
Davies might not carry some of the same natural-born properties as Van de Ven, sure, but he's a reliable and robust defender who doesn't earn as much match action as perhaps he deserves.
Only last season, as stated, the defender stepped in for his peer and produced some composed and cultured performances in the face of adversity, starting 12 matches, completing 91% of his passes, and winning 68% of his ground duels.
So then, he's not just competent on the continent, against ostensibly lower-level opponents. Davies is assured and will not find his fluency knocked by an absence from the Premier League field.
In fact, the long-serving Spurs man's industriousness may well blend nicely with the more dynamic defending of Dragusin, sure to start against Villa later on today.
Of course, Romero's unavailability is not something that Tottenham supporters would hope for, but it's perhaps a testament to Postecoglou's project that he's created a team with ample cover for such conundrums.
Davies has what it takes to send Emery's outfit packing, and he should be unleashed. Who knows, if Romero does receive the green light, maybe his particular profile would be best served in the starting line-up, instead of Dragusin.