Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario rates Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Liverpool’s Alisson Becker as the two finest shot-stoppers in the Premier League.
Given the way he has adapted to life in the top-flight since that £17 million move from Empoli, perhaps Guglielmo Vicario himself is worthy of a place in such a discussion.
But, while the Tottenham Hotspur glovesman possesses plenty of confidence in his own ability – so he should – Vicario is humble enough to admit that he is yet to scale the same summits reached by Aston Villa’s World Cup winner and a man who, since joining Liverpool from Roma, has won just about everything club football has to offer.
Tottenham ace raves about Liverpool and Aston Villa stars
“In the Premier League there are a lot of top goalkeepers,” Vicario tells ESPN, opening up on his admiration for Emiliano Martinez and Alisson Becker. “I like to watch every goalkeeper in the way he behaves, the way he saves, his style of goalkeeping.
“Martinez and Alisson are, for me, the two top keepers in the league. So if I have to say someone (is the best), I say these two guys because they are doing unbelievable (things).
“They play with risk, take risks playing from the back, they are very brave to go out and to clear situations. So, of course, I look to other keepers.”
Vicario, meanwhile, may be one of the finest pure shot-stoppers in the Premier League but he could still stand to learn a thing or two from Martinez and Alisson.
While the Villa and Liverpool glovesmen are among the very best when it comes to commanding their penalty box – battering players out the way to claim a high ball – Vicario’s weakness in set-piece situations has been exposed in recent clashes with Manchester City and Everton, opposition managers seemingly targeting a man who perhaps lacks the broad-shouldered physicality of other Premier League net-guarders.
Guglielmo Vicario still has a lot to learn
“I think it’s a chink in his armour,” former Spurs striker Peter Crouch told TNT Sports after Everton scored two set-piece goals – including a 94th minute equaliser – against Ange Postecoglou’s side in February.
“(Vicario) has been amazing since he’s been at the club. Fantastic goalkeeper. But that seems to be an issue. He dropped it against Manchester City (in the FA Cup). At Brentford at times, he had a slight issue with that. And again (vs Everton) he just couldn’t handle it.”
Vicario currently ranks joint-seventh for ‘high claims’ in the Premier League this season. The master of the art – Martinez – is second with 33 to Vicario’s 24.
Aston Villa and Liverpool are both in European action tonight. Villa face Ajax in Amsterdam while Liverpool travel to Sparta Prague.
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