Monday 29 September 2014 09:48, UK
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has hailed Hugo Lloris as one of the best goalkeepers in the world following an ‘unbelievable’ save against Arsenal.
Lloris pulled off a stunning stop in the North London derby to keep out Per Mertesacker’s header and claw the ball away before it could cross the line.
He was eventually beaten by an Alex Oxlade-Chamberain strike as the game finished in a 1-1 draw, but impressed with his handling and has a reputation as an excellent ‘sweeper keeper’.
I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, not just the Premier League. He is unbelievable. Neuer, Szczesny... I think there’s a lot of good keepers. But Lloris is one of them.
Pochettino rates Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer and Wojciech Szczesny of Arsenal as being among the finest keepers in the game, but feels Lloris is also one of the elite.
He said: “I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, not just the Premier League. He is unbelievable.
“Neuer, Szczesny... I think there’s a lot of good keepers. But Lloris is one of them.
“It was an amazing save that he made from Mertesacker. From my position [on the touchline] it was an unbelievable save. On TV it looks even better.”
Another Spurs player to catch the eye against Arsenal was captain Younes Kaboul, who produced a commanding display at centre-back to help claim a point.
The decision to give the Frenchman the armband following Michael Dawson’s departure had been questioned in some quarters, but Pochettino feels he is an ideal leader.
“When we decided to put the armband on him, it is because we feel there is something special about him,” said the Spurs boss.
“He is a very good guy, a big character, like other players like Hugo and [striker Emmanuel] Adebayor. But it is important to feel that you have a captain whose qualities you believe in.
“We have a lot of games ahead. We are working in a difficult moment because we had a lot of players at the World Cup and when you arrive late back then it’s always difficult.
“We need time, we need to change some things and we are in the process. We need time to improve and the players need time to adapt to our philosophy because we play in a different system.”
