Tottenham Hotspur settled for a 2-2 draw against Everton in the recent Premier League clash, leaving the North London club with a sense of missed opportunity and disappointment.
The Toffees managed to score a late equalizer through a set piece, and former Arsenal star Martin Keown highlighted his belief that Guglielmo Vicario’s handling of set pieces cost Tottenham valuable points.
Vicario has faced criticism throughout the season for his struggles with set pieces, and opposing teams are increasingly exploiting this weakness. Manchester City had previously targeted Vicario during a cup clash, resulting in a goal scored by Nathan Ake.
Keown expressed his concern on MOTD: “The goalkeeper for Spurs, he’s costing them goals lately from set pieces (Liability), never looked comfortable from any of those set pieces and at the end there perhaps should have done a little bit better.”
Jason Mohammad added: “Well, we ran some analysis last week and Manchester City targeted Vicario in the cup game which led to Nathan Ake’s goal, and you looked at it and there were six or seven times where Ruben Dias was standing on Vicario, clearly he’s weak from set plays.“
While acknowledging that Vicario has been a quality addition to Tottenham, making crucial saves in the Everton game, his vulnerability in dealing with set pieces poses a significant concern in the Premier League.
As Tottenham aims for Champions League qualification by the end of the season, dropping points from winning positions is a luxury they cannot afford.
Vicario, being aware of his shortcomings, will likely be eager to address this issue in the upcoming matches. Despite his challenges, the 27-year-old has demonstrated his goalkeeping prowess in the Premier League. If he successfully addresses the set piece concern, Vicario has the potential to evolve into a top-class goalkeeper.