It’s just ‘light’. Tottenham Hotspur’s new gatekeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, continues to dazzle.
Tottenham defeated Fulham 2-0 in the ninth round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, at 4 a.m. ET on Thursday. With the three points, Tottenham once again moved to the top of the league table after the last round.
Tottenham’s rise to the top is due to a number of factors. After struggling last season, falling to eighth place, Spurs underwent a number of changes over the summer, most notably the arrival of new head coach Enze Postecoglou, who drastically overhauled the squad. Gone were the players who had long been part of the core, replaced by new signings and existing resources who hadn’t been given much of a chance.
The changes paid off quickly. Spurs were unbeaten after the opening day. They continued that run today. Spurs opened with a goal each from Son Heung-min and James Maddison against Fulham. Despite a shaky second-half performance that led to a few close calls, Spurs held on for a 2-0 win and a 7-2 record.
Heungmin Son and Madison shined the brightest, but there was another “light” in the room. That would be goalkeeper Heung-Min Son. Since joining Tottenham from Empoli in Italy this season, Vicario has been making some incredible saves in every game. In the 11th minute of the first half, a Fulham corner led to a threatening header by Juan Palinha. Vicario reacted quickly and made a one-handed save.
The saves continued. In the 39th minute, Raúl Jiménez advanced into the box and fired a one-on-one, but again, Vicario made the save. Vicario’s saves in every game have made the absence of Tottenham legend Hugo Llorente hardly noticeable.
In the PL for the first time this season, Vicario has been a consistent starter in nine games so far, keeping four clean sheets. He is tied with Newcastle’s Nick Pope and Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone for the most clean sheets in the PL, and Spurs have only 스포츠토토 conceded a total of eight points so far, the second lowest total after Manchester City. Vicario’s save percentage is ranked as high as 80% by soccer statistics outlet Footmob.
He was also named to the PL Team of the Week. The BBC named him to the PL Goalkeeper of the Week team, saying, “He made a brilliant save to deny Joao Palinha’s header at Fulham. It was a crucial save as Tottenham kept a clean sheet for the second game in a row. He also made an incredible save in the second half when Jimenez had a shot on target. Finally, Vicario gave Spurs some stability in the penalty area.”