Damning Cristian Romero stat emerges after Tottenham defeat vs Aston Villa
Tottenham felt the impact of Cristian Romero’s absence during their defeat to Aston Villa.
Thomas Frank confirmed post-match that Romero suffered a minor abductor injury after the Argentine was replaced by Kevin Danso in the lineup.
Romero has formed a solid partnership alongside Micky van de Ven in the heart of the Spurs defence, and the 27-year-old was sorely missed.
Tottenham suffered a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa, dropping yet more points from a winning position after goals from Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia.
The performance proved how much Frank needed Romero playing, with one statistic highlighting his importance.
Tottenham’s record without Cristian Romero
Romero was handed Tottenham’s captain’s armband during the summer following Son Heung-min’s departure to LAFC.
Since then, the Argentine international role has grown into the role, finally improving his discipline and cementing himself among the league’s best.
In the past, Spurs have often struggled without Romero marshalling their defensive line, and that narrative continued against Aston Villa.
The North London giants have won just 23% (6/26) of their Premier League games without Romero since the start of 2023/24.
On the other hand, with the former Atalanta defender in the starting lineup, Spurs have claimed victory in 50% (29/58) of their league games, emphasising his importance.
For Frank’s men to qualify for the Champions League, keeping Van de Ven and Romero fit will be crucial, with the duo forming the bedrock of their success.
Romero’s outstanding stats
Romero has placed himself among some of Europe’s best defenders, and the aggressive Spurs star ranks high across the past year, according to FBref.
| Cristian Romero’s stats per 90 past year | Percentile rank |
| 1.36 touches (attacking pen) | Top 13% |
| 2.68 aerials won | Top 22% |
| 1.98 tackles | Top 19% |
| 1.58 interceptions | Top 10% |
| 4.4 recoveries | Top 25% |
| 0.84 carries into the final third | Top 20% |
Unsurprisingly strong at tackling and intercepting among his defensive peers, Romero is producing data that most defenders can only dream of.
Indeed, Tottenham will hope that his injury isn’t a serious one, and he’ll return for their home clash against Everton on Sunday, October 26.