Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank had his goalkeeper to thank for avoiding defeat to Monaco in the Champions League earlier this week.
Italian international Guglielmo Vicario produced an outstanding display, making eight saves and preventing 2.68 expected goals, earning a perfect 10 rating on Sofascore. His best moment came when Folarin Balogun aimed for the bottom corner, but Vicario reacted superbly, diving to his left to push the ball wide with a strong hand.
While Frank was undoubtedly pleased with his goalkeeper’s heroics, he will have been less satisfied with Tottenham’s performance in possession. According to Sofascore, Spurs created only one big chance throughout the match, offering little attacking threat to trouble Monaco’s defence.
Lucas Bergvall was deployed in the number ten role, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur anchoring midfield, but the young Swede struggled to influence the game.
Why Lucas Bergvall should be dropped by Spurs
The 19-year-old had a valuable opportunity to prove he could establish himself as a regular starter in that position, but his performance fell short. Bergvall made two errors leading to Monaco shots and failed to produce a single key pass for his own side — meaning he contributed more to Monaco’s attacks than Tottenham’s.
Vs Monaco (via Sofascore):
Minutes: 60
Key passes: 0
Big chances created: 0
Crosses completed: 0/2
Shots: 0
Dribbles attempted: 0
Duels won: 1/3
Errors leading to shots: 2
These numbers highlight an ineffective outing, with no attacking contribution and costly mistakes. As a result, Frank may consider removing Bergvall from the starting lineup for Tottenham’s Premier League trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton.
However, Bergvall’s potential remains clear. The Swedish midfielder scored his first league goal against West Ham United in September and has recorded one goal and one assist in the Premier League this season. His 53% ground duel success rate, per Sofascore, also suggests he could still offer energy and impact from the bench.
