How does Ben Foster compare to Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris?

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Tottenham have been linked with a move for West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris.

Lloris, 27, established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe after starring for Lyon in France, and despite interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, Lloris made the shock decision to join Tottenham after Euro 2012, as manager Andre Villas-Boas sealed a €15m coup for the French international.

Lloris has continued to impress in England, making himself one of the top shot stoppers in the Premier League, but with Spurs now almost certainly out of the race for a Champions League place, a number of sides are queuing up to give Lloris another shot at playing in Europe’s premier club competition.

Paris Saint-Germain seem the most likely suitor for Lloris right now as they look to take him back to France, and speculation suggests that Tottenham have already made a contingency plan in case Lloris does leave the club, with West Brom’s Foster believed to be the primary option.

Foster will be a part of Roy Hodgson’s England squad this summer, but how does he compare to Lloris?

Saves

The stats show that whilst Lloris has made over 30 more saves than Foster, the former United stopper makes more saves per match, and has also saved two penalties this season compared to none from Lloris – with one of them coming against Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor at weekend.

Dealing with crosses

An important part of goalkeeping is claiming crosses into the box, and statistically, Foster claims more crosses per match than Lloris, but also fails to claim more as well. Lloris appears to make better decisions when coming for crosses, choosing his moments precisely and effectively dealing with the danger.

Distribution

Setting off attacks from defence is an underrated aspect of goalkeeping, and the stats suggest that Lloris’ kicking is more accurate than Foster’s, whilst the Frenchman is also incredibly close to Foster’s tally of accurate throws out from the back.

Conclusion

Over these three categories, the stats suggest that whilst Lloris may be a more illustrious name in the world of goalkeeping, Foster really wouldn’t be much of a downgrade for Tottenham. However, the Frenchman is known for his exceptional positioning and speed off his line, enabling him to effectively close down attackers and ultimately make more saves – which is a large part of why, given the choice, Tottenham would be better off with Lloris than Foster.