Ange Postecoglou Defends Guglielmo Vicario Ahead Of Tottenham's Match Against Bournemouth

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Tottenham Hotspur's head coach, Ange Postecoglou, has shown strong support for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. This comes ahead of their Premier League match against Bournemouth on Sunday. Vicario had an emotional reaction after their 1-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, gesturing towards Spurs fans. Despite this, Postecoglou emphasised his belief in Vicario's commitment to the club.

Postecoglou stated, "Vic is very passionate about this football club and what we are trying to do here. He wants to win and he wants everyone on board with that." He added that anyone doubting Vicario's intentions doesn't know him well. The coach described him as a pure individual who genuinely cares about the team's success.

The defeat in the Netherlands marked Tottenham's seventh loss in 12 matches across all competitions. Currently sitting 13th in the Premier League table, Postecoglou aims for better performances on Sunday. He stressed the importance of consistency and raising baseline performances to compete effectively.

Bournemouth's head coach, Andoni Iraola, praised Tottenham as formidable opponents when they perform well. He acknowledged their varying performances but noted that achieving a result against them requires excellence. Iraola also addressed concerns over Ryan Christie's fitness due to a groin injury.

Iraola explained Christie's situation: "I think it's something chronic. He is dealing with some pain and I think it's a situation that we will have to manage day by day." While not ruling Christie out, Iraola trusts his player's ability to assess his condition alongside medical advice.

Key Players

For Tottenham, Dejan Kulusevski stands out with impressive stats this season. Averaging 13.5 metres per carry in the Premier League, he leads among players with at least 300 carries. Kulusevski has contributed 11 goals (seven goals, four assists) this season.

Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert is their top scorer with 12 league goals, including two hat-tricks away from home. Only Mohamed Salah has more away goals than Kluivert this season. His ten away goals set a record for Bournemouth in a single top-flight campaign.

Match Prediction

The upcoming match between Spurs and Bournemouth is predicted to end in a draw. Tottenham have lost seven home games this season, matching their record from the 1996-97 season. Meanwhile, Bournemouth have lost three of their last four league matches.

Bournemouth have underperformed their non-penalty expected goals (xG) figure by -5.4 this season, second only to Crystal Palace (-7.1). However, they remain unbeaten in their last ten league matches when having a higher non-penalty xG than opponents.

Historical Context

Tottenham have won six of their seven Premier League home games against Bournemouth, except for a 3-2 loss in April 2023. After winning at Vitality Stadium in December, Bournemouth aim for their first-ever league double over Spurs.

The Opta win probability suggests a close contest: Tottenham Hotspur at 37.1%, Draw at 24.4%, and Aston Villa at 38.5%. Both teams will be eager to improve their standings with a positive result on Sunday.