Ben Davies is continuing to prove why he is a key member of Antonio Conte's regular starting line-up for Tottenham. The defender has been playing on the left of a back three, alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero.
Davinson Sanchez has had to step in, in the last couple of games, as a result of the Argentine's injury problem. Davies has made 28 Premier League appearances so far this season, starting in 27 of them and producing a goal and an assist.
The Welshman produced another solid display in Spurs' 1-0 victory over Burnley on Sunday. The Lilywhites are currently fourth in the league, two points ahead of Arsenal, after the Gunners lost 2-0 to Newcastle on Monday night.
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Davies has previously been praised by the likes of Michael Dawson and Jose Mourinho and has been described as "brilliant" and "intelligent". Conte has also commended the 29-year-old, which he did after Tottenham's win against Norwich at the end of last year.
"Ben is playing very well and I think that that role specifically, I can get out the best of him. I need players with personality to play the ball and also to be offensive," the Italian explained.
"Ben is one of these players, he shows great solidity and plays well defensively. He’s always really focussed and concentrated. He played well."
Conte's praise for Davies also found him comparing him to Cesar Azpilicueta, whom the 52-year-old managed, during his time at Chelsea. This season Azpilicueta has made 45 appearances for the Blues, scoring three goals and registering three assists.
In 2017, the Italian was full of praise for the 32-year-old. "Last season Azpi was one of the most important players for us," he admitted.
"In this position as a central defender he is one of the best in the world. He is very good with and without the ball.
"He's a fantastic guy, he's always positive, and during the training sessions he works in a fantastic way. For a coach to have him is a dream," Conte added.
Davies has been subject to a lot of criticism over the years, struggling to make the required impact in defence during spells of his Tottenham career so far. However, since the 52-year-old's arrival, the Welshman seems to have transformed into exactly the player Conte needs in his back three.
His recent performances have earned him more praise from the Spurs boss. "I think he is having an amazing season," the Italian said after the Burnley victory.
"I think this position is perfect for him. It happened the same with Azpilicueta when I was at Chelsea, if you remember when we started to play at three at the back, he became one of the best central defenders with three at the back.
"Ben Davies is playing in a fantastic way, like Dier and don’t forget Sanchez, he has played two amazing games for Romero. We have to continue this way."
Not only has the Welsh international been producing consistent solid displays, the whole of Conte's back line have seen major improvement since his arrival. Tottenham have conceded just five goals in their last ten Premier League games, a crucial transformation since the first half of the season.
football.london reported last month that the Italian is believed to want a new left-sided centre-back but opted to wait until the upcoming transfer window, rather than making it a priority in January. Ahead of this season, many Tottenham fans thought a left-sided centre-back was a key area Spurs needed to improve and the new arrival would easily push Davies out of the starting line-up.
The 29-year-old does still make some mistakes and his performances aren't perfect, inevitably, however his form is starting to make it a hard task for someone to come to Tottenham and immediately replace him. The likes of Evan Ndicka, Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni have all been rumoured as potential targets for Fabio Paratici to bring to Spurs in the summer.
Arguably Davies isn't quite at the level to take the Lilywhites to being a title contending side. However Conte has clearly built trust in the defender and he is someone that the Italian knows he can rely on.
Any new left-sided centre-back is likely to need time to settle in at Tottenham, so wouldn't necessarily replace the Welsh international straight away. Even if this was the case, there is nothing wrong with some healthy competition in a squad, something which is needed in N17.
With Spurs playing in Europe next season, there will be plenty of matches to play and therefore plenty of opportunities for Conte to make rotations in his squad. So whether Davies remains in the Premier League regular XI or whether he has to fight a bit harder for his game time, the defender is clearly valued by the Italian and that is only likely to benefit him.
