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Luke Thrower

Matt Doherty injury blow gives Tottenham star new chance to prove himself under Antonio Conte

The past week has been positive for Antonio Conte and his Tottenham side, but they have been dealt a blow in their hopes for finishing in the top four. Wing-back Matt Doherty is set to miss the rest of Tottenham's season following the knee injury he suffered against Aston Villa on Saturday, football.london understands.

The 30-year-old has begun to find some of his best form under the Italian in recent weeks, scoring twice and assisting twice in his last five appearances to give Spurs the edge in the race for Champions League qualification. However, following his knee injury from a challenge by Matty Cash against Aston Villa, his season is set to be over.

This presents a problem for Conte, given how crucial his wing-backs are to his system. "I hope nothing serious, I hope," the Spurs boss said on Saturday. "The doctors are going to check on him tomorrow. I hope nothing serious because he wanted to try to continue to play but then at the end he preferred to come out. I hope so because Matthew is an important player for us and I hope this injury is not serious."

READ MORE: Tottenham's next six Premier League fixtures compared to Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and West Ham

It means that the spot is set to be taken by summer signing Emerson Royal, who much like Doherty at first, has struggled to settle in since his move from Barcelona. It could be a chance, during the most intense stage of the season, for the Brazilian to prove himself.

Taking a look at the stats, via FBRef, it shows just where the two have differed so far this season. Conte likes for his wing-backs to dominate flanks, convincing both offensively and defensively.

Looking at the offensive side of things, Doherty is far superior with goal-creating actions, averaging 0.41 per 90 minutes to Emerson’s 0.10. That means the Irishman is helping to create a goal just over once every two games compared to his teammate with one every 10 games.

Doherty’s passes are also creating more shots, averaging 1.96 passes per game that lead to a shot compared to Emerson’s 1.68. It means that the 30-year-old has the advantage again, with 2.37 shot-creating actions per 90 compared to 2.08.

Looking at xA (expected assists), Doherty is nearly doubling the stats of Emerson, expecting one assist every five games compared to one in every 10. It puts in the perspective that the Irishman has shown more quality on the ball in the final third, something that the Brazilian will have to do on his return to the team.

Defensively, the numbers take a slight turn, suggesting that Emerson is the busier defender, but that isn’t always a good thing. If a defender has more tackles, it may suggest that they are more inclined to take action.

While the 23-year-old makes more tackles per 90 minutes, 3.60, he only wins 1.78 of those, suggesting he has a poor success rate when going in for a challenge. Compare that to his teammate, who tackles far less, 1.86, but wins a higher percentage of them every game, 1.24.

All in all, it shows where Emerson must improve to stake his claim in the team in the Irishman’s absence. He has to match his quality on the ball in the final third while defensively, perhaps making less challenges but winning more of them will keep the side looking better defensively in his presence.

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