Ange Postecoglou has some big decisions to make in his Tottenham defence following the additions of Micky van de Ven and Ashely Phillips
Tottenham's final pre-season fixture may have ended in defeat but Ange Postecoglou can take a number of positives from their 4-2 loss in Barcelona. Leading 2-1 for the majority of the contest following Oliver Skipp's double, Xavi injected some fresh legs into his Barcelona side in the closing stages and they ultimately capitalised on a tired Spurs team.
Punished for their defensive play last season, Barca carved Spurs open with ease after only three minutes as Robert Lewandowski had all the time in the world to convert Raphinha's cross. Poor on Sergio Reguilon's part as the ex-Leeds United man breezed past him unnoticed, Davinson Sanchez was not able to stop the Brazilian putting in a cross for his teammate to convert after Pedro Porro had left him to cover a big space in the middle.
Two minutes later and the hosts really should have double their tally after some more bad play at the back resulted in Raphinha somehow blazing over from ten yards when he had the goal at his mercy. Following those two worrying moments, Tottenham managed to get a foothold in the contest and looked so much better at the back, with Sanchez more than making his case to Postecoglou with a standout display.
Making some outstanding tackles and blocks after Barca's first goal of the evening, as well as keeping his cool on the ball in tight areas to get Tottenham on the attack, Sanchez also utilised his pace extremely well to frustrate Xavi's team when it appeared that they had a sight on goal. He did the same after the break, notably to deny Gavi when the Barca youngster raced through and looked destined to test Guglielmo Vicario.
Torres was then his next victim as he somehow managed to get a crucial block to the attacker's effort just as he looked set to apply the finish touching to Marcos Alonso's inviting cross into the area. It was a sublime piece of play from the Colombian, who again did likewise moments later to frustrate Barcelona on another foray forward.
Needing a change after falling out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the past couple of seasons and seeing his minutes drop as a result, it really is a crucial summer in the career of Sanchez. Consistency is always going to be key when it comes to the player, however, as he has performed very well on occasions for Spurs and then ultimately let himself down with some poor play at times.
The one thing Tottenham need at the back, though, is consistency after their defensive vulnerabilities last season saw them ship 63 goals in the Premier League which resulted in them missing out on Europe altogether. Hopefully that will come with the arrival of Van de Ven, who looks destined to partner Cristian Romero at the heart of Tottenham's defence.
Postecoglou is going to need cover over the course of the season and he has a decision to make over whether Sanchez does move on or if he has a role to play for him. Maybe one of the current defenders at the club outside of Romero and Van de Ven who is more suited to his style of play with his pace a big plus point with Tottenham to play a high line, all will become clear over the next three weeks with the transfer deadline edging ever closer.
On a night when those on the periphery of Postecoglou's Tottenham team had a golden opportunity to make their case and change his thinking, Sanchez grasped his opportunity with both hands. It is now down to the head coach to decide what comes next in the Colombian's career.