Much was made of Tottenham's fearsome front three last season but Antonio Conte had also worked his magic across the backline. Looking rather shaky and conceding some sloppy goals prior to his arrival at the start of November, the Spurs head coach knew things had to change if they were to contest for a Champions League place.
Robbed of Cristian Romero for three months due to a hamstring injury sustained on international duty in November, the player's return to the pitch at the start of February resulted in an upturn in form and the team just kicked on from there to finish fourth. Romero excelled in his first campaign at the club and demonstrated why Fabio Paratici was so intent on luring him to N17 from Atalanta by delivering some huge performances at the back.
Eric Dier received plenty of plaudits after a terrific season at the centre of the back three, with Ben Davies also playing an integral part after moving from his left-back role to the left of the three-man defence. Given how the backline finished the 2021/22 campaign, it may seem like a pretty straightforward decision when it comes to who starts in defence on the opening weekend against Southampton.
