Hugo Lloris has endured a mistake-filled season, but the Tottenham goalkeeper knows his costly blunders will be forgotten if he can lead his side to Champions League football success against Manchester City.
Lloris will captain Tottenham in tonight’s All-English quarter-final first leg showdown with City at the north London club’s new stadium. The match kicks-off at 9pm.
And the France star will be firmly in the spotlight on what promises to be a busy evening given City’s attacking prowess.
Lloris has been well below his best for much of this term, with his latest clanger coming in the last minute of a damaging 2-1 defeat at Liverpool last weekend when he sparked a Toby Alderweireld own goal by spilling Mohamed Salah’s header.
The 32-year-old has shown alarmingly bad judgement all season.
In Tottenham’s 2-2 group stage draw against PSV Eindhoven, Lloris suffered a rush of blood as he needlessly sprinted outside his penalty area to foul Hirving Lozano, earning a straight red card that inspired the Dutch side to snatch a last- minute equaliser.
Lloris had already been at fault for Barcelona’s opening goal in the 4-2 group stage defeat at Wembley, which saw Tottenham fall behind with barely a minute on the clock.
The France captain was also embarrassed in last year’s World Cup final by Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic, although that blunder was ignored as his country carried home the trophy.
In the midst of these howlers, Lloris was arrested for drink-driving in London, an offence that earned him a 20-month driving ban and £50 000 fine.
Despite such a wretched run of form, Lloris has retained the support of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Reports in recent weeks claim Pochettino has no intention of looking for another keeper at the end of the season, such is his faith in Lloris.
Part of that belief is grounded in Lloris’s role as an influential figure in the dressing room.
That leadership earned him the captain’s armband and was on show as he issued a rallying cry to his team-mates ahead of the City clash.
With Tottenham bidding to reach their first European semi-final since the 1984 UEFA Cup, Lloris knows the team will need the vocal backing of the home support to rattle City.
Pep Guardiola’s Premier League title chasers are eyeing an unprecedented quadruple after reaching the FA Cup final and winning the League Cup already this season.
Champions LeagueQuarter-finals Fixtures (all 9pm kick-off)
Today: Liverpool v Porto; Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Tomorrow: Ajax v Juventus; Manchester United v Barcelona.
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