Guglielmo Vicario could now be frozen out at Tottenham
Guglielmo Vicario doesn’t look like coming straight back into Tottenham Hotspur’s starting side after Antonin Kinsky’s impressive debut.
Keeping a clean sheet against Liverpool on Wednesday as the Lilywhites won 1-0 in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg, Kinsky’s display just three days after signing for Spurs has turned plenty of heads.
While the 21-year-old stopper did provide a few nervous moments prior to Lucas Bergvall’s 86th-minute winner, Kinsky earned the praise of Liverpool fans after keeping the Premier League leaders at bay.
Ange Postecoglou’s long-term number one Vicario is in line to return from a long-term injury lay-off in February following ankle surgery, but he could have a hard time trying to displace Kinsky from here on in.
Antonin Kinsky stakes claim for Tottenham number one spot
Vicario’s injury – one of countless in the Lilywhites’ backline so far this season – had resulted in Fraser Forster operating between the sticks since November, albeit this resulted in some catastrophic mistakes.
Kinsky’s first showing in North London, however, has inspired much more confidence in Spurs’ long-term goalkeeping stocks, making six saves in total and preventing a whopping 1.23 goals on target [FotMob].
Given Bergvall’s winner was scored just four minutes from full-time, Kinsky’s heroics at the back could well have saved the game, and the tie, for Spurs, with four of them coming from shots inside the box.
With 12 recoveries of the ball made in total, including one as a sweeper keeper, Kinsky’s distribution also came under the microscope, completing 71 per cent of his 45 attempted passes across the 90 minutes [SofaScore].
Although only six of Kinsky’s 19 long balls stuck [FotMob], he made just as many throws out of his own box to get Spurs back on the attack, and a last-ditch tackle outside his box also saw the Czech come out on top.
Vicario also averages one successful run out of his box per match, but his ball recovery statistics – with just three per game [SofaScore] – and his rate of one save per 90 being far below what Kinsky has averaged so far.
The Italian’s ball-playing ability outweighs that of his new team-mate thus far, with 88 per cent accuracy on average, but with Spurs shipping goals at will in recent weeks, Postecoglou may opt for Kinsky.
Postecoglou will now be spoilt for choice when Vicario’s return finally returns, and that’s a selection headache the Australian hasn’t had for a while in North London.
In other Tottenham news, an FA probe and possible investigation could be heading Spurs’ way after what happened against Newcastle.
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