Tottenham’s defenders’ excellence obscures Hugo Lloris’ brilliance
The great play of Tottenham’s back four make it easy for people to ignore Hugo Lloris’ brilliance
Tottenham fans are keenly aware of how crucial Hugo Lloris’ great play is for Spurs. Interestingly enough, the excellent play of Spurs’ back four this season has caused the rest of the Premier League to forget just how excellent Lloris really is.
Tottenham’s defense has been the best in the Premier League this season. Spurs have only given up a league leading 19 goals in 25 matches. It’s a huge reason that Tottenham currently finds themselves second in the Premier League table.
Most of the credit for the stingy Spurs defense has gone to the play of the club’s back four. That’s entirely understandable. The central partnership of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld was excellent before Vertonghen’s recent injury. They formed arguably the top pairing in the entire league.
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The defending of the club’s full backs has been better than in years past as well. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has four full backs he can count on with Danny Rose, Ben Davies, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier. The quartet isn’t perfect, but they’ve provided a great deal of support to Tottenham’s defense this season.
Even the defensive midfield group has gotten a lot of the credit for Spurs’ impressive defense. In particular, the deployment of Eric Dier in a midfield role has proved an effective shield for the back four. Dier’s performance has been strong enough to get him a call-up to England’s senior squad.
Ironically, goal keeper Hugo Lloris seems to be the forgotten man for Spurs this season. With all of the plaudits that have gone to Tottenham’s back four and defensive midfielders, it seems that the world has forgotten just how good the French keeper is.
Lloris is the real star of the club’s defense. His unique playing style and talents provide the foundation for Pochettino’s defensive scheme. It’s not just that he’s a brilliant shot stopper (which he is), it’s also the way he plays the position.
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The Spurs captain loves to play the position as a “sweeper keeper.” This allows the team’s back four to employ an extremely high-line that’s key to their performance. Neither Vertonghen or Alderweireld is a physically imposing central defender, so they need to rely on the offside trap more than most. Having Lloris ready to come off the line at a moment’s notice makes that possible.
Of course, coming off his line bravely and quickly isn’t enough to make him one of the Premier League’s best goal keepers. He also uses his cat-like reflexes to keep certain goals out of the back of the net. He does everything that other Premier League elite keepers do, but adds to it. He may very well be the EPL’s number one keeper.
You wouldn’t know it to read pundits and fans discuss who the number one keeper in the Premier League is. Those pieces always seem to start with names like de Gea or Cech. As of late, even Kasper Schmeichel has gotten more attention than Lloris. It really is amazing that Lloris doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
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Of course, the ever graceful Lloris doesn’t mind avoiding the limelight. He’s much more focused on the team’s task at hand. I’m quite sure that he’ll gladly let other keepers claim individual glory if it means Tottenham can seize team glory. That’s why he is the Tottenham captain and quite possibly, the best keeper in the Premier League.