In Focus: Guglielmo can lead Spurs to Vic-tory after impressive start

Guglielmo Vicario has quietly emerged as one of the Premier League's most dependable goalkeepers.

Tottenham's new No1, signed from Empoli in June, has conceded just nine goals in 10 games — helping his side top the table ahead of Matchday 11.

A Spurs defence that leaked goals last term has looked revitalised, with Vicario playing a big part in that transformation.

Ahead of tonight's clash with Chelsea, we assess the stopper's contribution to Spurs' successful season so far.

Unearthing a gem

Vicario was relatively unknown among Premier League fans when he swapped Italy for North London.

Hugo Lloris, after over a decade at the club and with 145 France caps to his name, was never expected to continue between the sticks thanks to a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.

And Ange Postecoglou soon identified the kind of keeper that would work in his system.

The £17million addition impressed in his early appearances — particularly during a 2-0 win over Manchester United in August — and Spurs have not looked back since.

Perfect fit

Postecoglou, who was renowned for his ability to find hidden talents while Celtic manager, has not been surprised by Vicario's form.

He said: "I saw Vic as a goalkeeper who had outstanding attributes — and after speaking to him I knew he'd fit in perfectly.

"He hasn't come here trying to prove a point, he's just come here to try to be the best goalkeeper he can possibly be.

"He's in here every day. If we have a day off, Vic's the one player still coming in every day to do something.

"When you have people like that, coupled with his attributes as a goalkeeper, then they give themselves a good chance to be successful."

Standing out

Vicario has certainly been a success at this early stage of his Spurs career.

Before this weekend, he was joint-top among Premier League stoppers for clean sheets (four) and only Liverpool custodian Alisson (80.49%) had a better save percentage than the Italian (77.27%).

He also ranked second for possessions won in the defensive third (16), demonstrating his value as a sweeper keeper.

Under Postecoglou, the 27-year-old is often tasked with venturing out of his box and mopping up loose balls.

His ability to read the game and technical quality allows him to perform such a role comfortably, having completed 286 passes with an accuracy of 79.89%.

There is also a confidence about Vicario. While the likes of Andre Onana, David Raya and Robert Sanchez have all had nervy moments in possession this season, the Tottenham keeper has rarely looked flustered on the ball.

More to come

Though his underlying numbers and consistent performances are impressive, Vicario's mentality also stands out.

In a Spurs team that has clearly bought into Postecoglou's ideas, he exemplifies the kind of ambitious but selfless characters driving the club forward.

He said: "I arrived with great desire and without setting limits. I entered into a different mentality, both for myself and for the team.

"It's what we have to put in place day after day. I think that for the moment the fruits of our work are showing but we'll evaluate things later.

"We need to keep pushing, because now the iron is hot and needs to be struck."

Spurs can stretch their gap over rivals Chelsea to a whopping 17 points tonight — a victory would be another clear statement from Postecoglou's men that their blistering start has not been a lucky streak.