Tottenham Hotspur fell short in another big Premier League game when they lost last weekend’s North London derby.
Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from their North London derby defeat in the best possible way by beating Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday to continue their brilliant Champions League campaign.
But until they start knocking off the best teams in the Premier League, especially away from home, questions will continue to be asked about the title credentials of Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
At first glance, this appears to be a psychological barrier that Spurs need to overcome, but an alarming stat suggests that the blame for poor away results may lie partially in the hands of a senior player.
Captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has never keep a clean sheet in 24 away matches against top-six opposition in the Premier League, conceding a hefty 56 goals at an average of 2.3 per game.
Of course, that poor record is the collective responsibility of Tottenham’s entire defence, but it is surprising that, over that amount of games, the Frenchman has not had a stormer that has saved his team.
That stat would not apply to Spurs if they had David de Gea, whose performances have sometimes been single-handedly responsible for Manchester United picking up crucial points against their rivals.
Lloris, poorly positioned behind his line, was arguably culpable for Arsenal’s second goal last Saturday, and his error for Marcos Alonso’s winner also gifted Chelsea victory at Wembley back in August.
The 30-year-old has starred for Spurs in big European games, memorably in their 1-1 draw with Real Madrid earlier this season, but he has been found wanting in the Premier League pressure cooker.
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