Tottenham Hotspur -head coach Ange Postecoglou defended goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario prior to their home game against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.
Vicario reacted angry and gestures on Spurs fans in the stadium after their 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the first stage of their last-16 European League equal game on Thursday.
But even though his emotions got better, Postecoglou made it clear that he had his full support.
“Vic is very, very passionate about this football club and what we are trying to do here. He wants to win and he wants everyone to be on board,” said Postecoglou.
“If people think there is a bad bone in his body, then they don't know him like me. He is one of the purest people you can come across and he wants what is best for this team because it cares.”
The loss in the Netherlands was a seventh defeat in 12 games in all competitions for Spurs, which are currently 13th in the Premier League table. Postecoglou then focuses on Sunday improved versions.
“It's about consistency and performance, not about increasing our worst level,” he said.
“There are different ways to tackle those challenges and to ensure that we compete against the absolute minimum and collect the baseline versions.”
Back in Premier League promotion
@Castrol pic.twitter.com/ew0ahtgfjn
– Tottenham Hotspur (@spursofficial) March 7, 2025
Bournemouth -head coach Andoni Iraola was now full of praise for their opposition on Sunday.
“When they play well, they are hard to stop. It is true that they have had different games, games where they played very well, games where they have not been so good. This is a place where if you want to get a result, you have to be very good,” he said.
In the game, there is doubt about the fitness of Scotland -International Ryan Christie, who suffers from a groin injury.
“I think it is something chronic. He has to do with some pain and I think it is a situation that we will have to manage every day,” Iraola said.
“I don't postpone him, but I also trust Ryan a lot. He knows his body. It is not an easy situation to deal with during the season. He probably needs some rest, but he wants to continue to play clearly and this is a situation that we have to continue to deal with.”
“We will deal with it. We are probably thinking of an operation or something and it is better for everyone when it is in the summer. But I am not Ryan Christie and he has to see how he feels, if he can play or cannot play, decisions with the doctor, but he is pretty good at managing.”
Players to watch
Tottenham Hotspur – Dejan Kulusevski
This season, Kulusevski travels an average of 13.5 meters per Carry in the Premier League, most of the 44 players who have at least 300.
The Swede comes with 11 target contributions in the Premier League this season (seven goals, four assists), including a goal against Ipswich Town in his most recent start.
Bournemouth – Justin Kluivert
Kluivert is the top scorer of Bournemouth with 12 league goals this season, including two hat tricks away from home.
Only Mohamed Salah (16) has scored more in the Premier League this season in the Premier League than Kluisivert (10), with the 10 goals of the Dutchman on the road the most ever by a Bournemouth player in a single top campaign.
Match -Forecast: Draw
Spurs has lost seven Premier League home matches this season, which is their joint in a 38-game season in the competition (level with 1996-97), while only in 1993-94 they lost more (nine).
But conversely, Bournemouth has lost three of their last four Premier League matches that are as much as they had in their previous 18 (W10 D5).
Only Crystal Palace (-7.1) has underperformed their non-Penalty XG figure this season than Bournemouth (-5.4) in the Premier League this season (44.4 XG, 39 goals).
The cherries are unbeaten in their last 10 league matches when having a higher non-Penalty XG figure than their opponent (W7 D3) but have lost their last three when they have a lower figure.
Tottenham has won six of their seven Premier League home matches against Bournemouth, with the exception of a 3-2 loss in April 2023, but after their 1-0 victory in the Vitality Stadium in December, Bournemouth wants to complete their very first league clubs on Spurs.
Opta wins probability
Tottenham Hotspur – 37.1%
Drawing – 24.4%
Aston Villa – 38.5%
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