This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Paulo Gazzaniga has to be Tottenham Hotspur’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The former Southampton stopper was in exceptional form last Sunday, despite Spurs’ defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Indeed, had the Argentine not been in goal, one feels that the scoreline would have had a rather more lopsided feel to it.
He made a total of 12 saves throughout the game, per WhoScored, with four being collected and four being parried.
Of course, Gazzaniga is not the first choice.
Had Hugo Lloris been fit, one imagines he would have played. He is currently sidelined after suffering an elbow injury during the 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Gazzaniga played just three times in the Premier League last season and once in 2017/18. Even during his time at Southampton, Gazzaniga never made more than nine appearances and those came in 2012/13.
Yet he has proved that he has the capability to be the club’s first-choice.
The 27-year-old’s reactions, saves and overall command of his own box have been impressive to witness across the last couple of weeks.
Against Red Star, even when winning and at 5-0 up, Gazzaniga chastised Jan Vertonghen for a defensive slip. That kind of attention to detail has been needed in the Spurs backline for quite some time.
In Lloris’ case, to watch him is to see a picture of tranquillity in goal and yet, that doesn’t necessarily help the defenders in front of him.
Sometimes players need a rocket and Gazzaniga has shown he can give it.
After seeing Sadio Mane head the ball wide under no pressure from a defender, the goalkeeper kicked the post in anger at a lapse in concentration.
More than his saves, his instinctive need for the players to be doing their jobs in front of him is exactly what Mauricio Pochettino’s men need.
The display against Liverpool is proof that, even when Lloris returns, Gazzaniga should be given the chance to keep his place.
By extension, that should bring the best out of the Frenchman too, as he looks to reclaim his place between the sticks.
It is a win-win situation.
