Tottenham Hotspur were forced to settle for a frustrating 2-2 draw against AS Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night, with a dramatic late equalizer from the Italian side denying Spurs all three points. Ange Postecoglou’s team managed to take a 2-1 lead during the match, but they struggled to maintain their advantage in the final minutes, allowing Roma to level the score. This result has caused Tottenham to slip outside the top eight positions in the Europa League standings, which is crucial for securing automatic qualification to the Round of 16.
The draw came at a challenging time for Spurs, as they were already dealing with a number of key injury concerns ahead of the match. One of the major blows for Postecoglou’s side was the absence of defender Cristian Romero, who was sidelined due to a foot injury. Additionally, Tottenham’s regular goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was unavailable after undergoing ankle surgery earlier in the week. As a result, Fraser Forster was tasked with stepping into the role of starting goalkeeper. However, Tottenham fans were critical of Forster’s performance, particularly in relation to his involvement in Roma’s opening goal, which contributed to the team’s frustration during the match.
Despite the criticism aimed at Forster, Tottenham’s winger Dejan Kulusevski remained supportive of the goalkeeper’s ability to step in during Vicario’s absence. In his post-match comments, Kulusevski expressed confidence in Forster’s ability to perform at a high level. “He’s really good and made some important saves today [Thursday]. It’s great to have him, and I think he’s ready to play,” Kulusevski said of Forster’s performance. At the same time, Kulusevski also acknowledged another option in Tottenham’s squad that has caught his attention—goalkeeper Brandon Austin. The Swedish international praised Austin’s capabilities, noting that he has also shown great promise. “I feel confident that we have Brandon Austin, who’s a very good goalkeeper,” Kulusevski added.
Kulusevski went on to emphasize how much the team misses Vicario, both as a player and as a person, but also stressed that it is now up to Forster to rise to the occasion and lead the team in his absence. “We miss Vicario because he’s a fantastic guy, but now it is time for Fraser to step up and help the team,” Kulusevski concluded.
Despite the ongoing absence of Vicario, manager Ange Postecoglou has made it clear that Tottenham will not be looking to sign a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window. Postecoglou’s stance comes as he backs his current options, including Forster and Austin, to fill the void left by Vicario’s injury, confident that they can handle the challenges ahead.