Journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that Matt Doherty will keep his place in the Tottenham Hotspur side after his most recent display.
The defender played the full 90 minutes in the Premier League for the first time this season over the weekend and helped Spurs keep a clean sheet and picked up all three points along the way (via Transfermarkt).
Indeed, with Emerson Royal suspended after being sent off in the loss to Arsenal a week prior, Doherty came into the side as Tottenham snuck past Brighton with a narrow 1-0 victory.
And it seems as though, the wingback impressed to a certain degree as Gold now expects manager Antonio Conte to keep him in the team for potentially the next few games.
“So yea, that’s good. It’s the road back for Matt Doherty as well – or Matthew, as Antonio Conte likes to call him. And with every passing minute, he’ll get sharper and sharper. This is what they need. It is it’s not rocket science. They really do need these minutes.
TIF thoughts on Matt Doherty and Spurs…
The 30-year-old, who joined for around £15m, had actually not even started a game in any competitions until then, so it’s a big call from Gold to suggest he will start the next one or two games for Spurs.
However, Emerson will still be suspended and the alternative option Djed Spence has played even less than Doherty and wasn’t trusted against the Seagulls, so it’s easy to see where the journalist is coming from.
To be fair, the defender was praised for his display against Brighton too. In the 90min player ratings, he was handed a 7/10 for his efforts and was said to understand the role ‘lot more than any of his right wing-back competitors’.
With that in mind, Conte may well feel as though Doherty has done enough to earn his trust for the time being.
Who should be the first choice option at Spurs?
Matt Doherty
Emerson Royal
