Tottenham Hotspur are enjoying a fairly successful season so far, keeping pace with most of England’s elite clubs in the top six of the English Premier League.There’s a consistency about Mauricio Pochettino’s team that Spurs haven’t seen for quite a while and they appear to be only getting better.They’ve won their last six in a row in all competitions and head into the weekend’s fixture with West Bromwich Albion full of confidence they can continue to stake a claim in the title race.What’s been the secret of their success then? It’s clear to see that they enjoying playing down the flanks with full-backs Danny Rose and Kyle Walker often seen bombing forward. Dele Alli has been in lethal form, supporting Harry Kane with assists and goals of his own.Less obvious though could be the contribution of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.This stat from Squawka shows that Spurs play the long ball more often than any other side in the Premier League.

The defensive pairing are usually at the heart of that, spreading the play directly to the flanks for Spurs’ most creative players to latch on to. Not only does it highlight the accurate passing from back to front at Spurs, but also their desire to win balls under contest.

This direct play is clearly paying dividends, so look for how successful these long balls are in the future. If they aren’t finding their target, it’s unlikely Spurs are on their way to a victory.

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