Tottenham’s 2-1 loss away at Liverpool wasn’t entirely a disaster. It might have been the fourth straight win for Liverpool in this exact fixture (11vs11), but the Lilywhites can certainly take a lot of positives from the Anfield clash despite the result.
One of the main positives was the obvious performance of the club’s stand-in goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine was absolutely sublime throughout the clash and was the player to earn the highest rating for his performance from the away side with an 8/10 (Sky Sports).
In the end, the two goals that did eventually sneak past Gazzaniga were strikes that the shot-stopper couldn’t do anything about, as Jordan Henderson’s low left-footed strike left him with no chance before Serge Aurier stitched the man behind him up by conceding a needless penalty.
However, the loss and the two goals aside, Gazzaniga was nothing short of sublime. The 27-year-old pulled off 12 saves in the clash and came out to claim two crosses (WhoScored), outperforming his opposite number Alisson Becker, although he certainly had more to do than his South America counterpart.
The stats will say that Gazzaniga has conceded eight goals in four Premier League appearances this season, but he has definitely performed better than a shot-stopper averaging two goals conceded per game, and his display against the Reds proves that.
Aside from his shot-stopping abilities, that saw him deny Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson throughout the game, the Argentine’s distribution was also first-rate, as he very nearly had an assist after his long ball upfield to Heung-Min Son could only result in the South Korean hitting the bar.
Had that got in, the Lilywhites could well have been left celebrating a win, or at least a draw, on their way back from Merseyside, and Gazzaniga would certainly have been one of the heroes. As it is, though, the 27-year-old couldn’t keep Jurgen Klopp’s side out during the loss, even if he did more than prove he’s a capable stand-in option for Hugo Lloris.