The Premier League boasts some of football’s top players going head-to-head week in and week out, and this week more than most has exactly that. Sunday sees Tottenham travel to The Emirates to face Arsenal and both Hugo Lloris and Bernd Leno between the sticks will be crucial to their sides, and we’re going to review them both here.
HUGO LLORIS
Mauricio Pochettino inherited Lloris when he took the Tottenham job back in summer 2014 and to be fair to him, it was probably the only position in which he didn’t need to make a change. The Frenchman is always reliable and whilst he certainly is guilty of having his moments, he definitely wins the club more points than he costs them and has been one of the Premier League’s best ‘keepers since he joined the club back in 2012.
This year has been a turbulent one for Lloris, though. The Frenchman won the World Cup as his country’s captain but shortly after returning to his club he was arrested for drink driving. Then a few injuries saw his progress halted, although the top form from Paulo Gazzaniga has created competition and seen Lloris get back to his best, and this weekend he’ll be desperate to show his critics that he’s still one of the best in the world and that he can help the side overcome Arsenal on Sunday.
TT GRADE: A
BERND LENO
Much the opposite to Hugo Lloris in many ways is Bernd Leno. The German plays on the other side of North London, didn’t go to the World Cup and is new to the Premier League. However, he is not to be underestimated. The German had been one of the Bundesliga’s marquee shot-stoppers for a number of years with Bayer Leverkusen before he swapped Germany for England over the summer, and this weekend will see him make his North London Derby debut.
Careers can be made and broken in these huge derby games. Leno could be one of those who either becomes a legend or an instant flop depending on how he gets on against The Lilywhites. So far he’s been solid for The Gunners but hasn’t yet been called into action to the point where we can see what just how good he is, although that may just happen at The Emirates on Sunday if Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son test him the same way that they did Kepa Arrizabalaga last weekend.
TT GRADE: B
TT VERDICT
Whilst Leno has impressed so far this season, the way that Lloris has gone under the radar returning to form after his issues at the start of the club season make him the man that is going to be harder to beat this Sunday. Both ‘keepers will have to be at the top of their games and even the slightest mistake could cost them, but for this one, we’re expecting to see Hugo Lloris come out on top in the battle of the shot-stoppers.
