Even though Tottenham Hotspur did not win against Brighton and ended up surrendering two goals, Antonin Kinsky's second start in a row between the goal posts went very well. Kinsky was unlucky to have conceded last weekend in a 1-0 loss to Sunderland, and neither of the two goals the Seagulls put past him were remotely his fault.
On the other hand, Kinsky looked right at home on the ball. His command of the box and distribution continue to imrpess the Tottenham faithful, and for a young goalkeeper who has barely played this season, the Czech shot stopper has looked a lot less shaky on the ball and in other aspects of the game besides making saves than incumbent Guglielmo Vicario.
And as Tottenham fans have figured out this season as the remain sitting in one of the three Premier League relegation places, those other things besides the saves that are on the stat sheet make a huge difference in wins and losses. In fact, those kinds of mistakes on the ball and in the air can be even more devastating in the table.
Tottenham's GK controversy rises
Vicario is wanted badly by Inter Milan as their Yann Sommer replacement, and every single transfer rumor out of Italy and England seems to point to the inevitability of Vic going to the Nerazzurri this summer. There is a chance Roberto De Zerbi tries to convince the veteran Italian international to stick around, sure, but you have to think that with Antonin Kinsky playing well twice now, the chances of De Zerbi even wanting Vicario back have to be waning.
Guglielmo Vicario has no real future upside to Tottenham Hotspur, and they could make a pretty penny by selling him. That is important for a team seemingly destined to kick down to the EFL Championship, which would then also mean that a dream Vicario replacement like James Trafford would be entirely unachievable. And you can forget about Dutchmen Robin Roefs and Bart Verbruggen, too.
Tottenham may already have their Vicario replacement in Kinksy. He has responded so well from those harsh slips against Atletico Madrid, and, to be honest, it would be cruel to fault him for unlucky mistakes in a massive game when the young man had not even played for months - and great players on Barcelona had been slipping in that very same pitch, too.
Kinsky impressing lately makes Vicario even more expendable, and there have always been Tottenham fans who feel Kinsky is the better keeper anyway. And now, they will also feel a bit of vindication.