Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League ambitions suffered a significant blow on Saturday evening as a costly error from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario contributed to a 2-1 home defeat against Fulham.
Costly Error Proves Decisive
The match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium took a dramatic turn within the first six minutes. Fulham's Kenny Tete opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but the real disaster struck just two minutes later. Guglielmo Vicario ventured outside his penalty area to clear a loose ball, but his attempted clearance went straight to a Fulham player.
The ball was quickly laid off to Harry Wilson, who, with Vicario stranded far from his goal, calmly slotted the ball into the net from the right flank. The early two-goal deficit proved too much for Spurs to overcome, despite a second-half effort to get back into the game.
Vicario's Public Response and Fan Reaction
Following the match, the Italian goalkeeper took to social media to address his mistake directly. On Instagram, Vicario wrote: "I take full responsibility for the second goal we conceded. Moments like this hurt, especially when the results aren't going our way."
He added a message of resilience for the club, stating, "Now more than ever, it's time to fight even harder and give everything for this club. COYS". His post garnered support from within the squad, including former Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who responded with a white heart emoji.
The immediate error prompted audible displeasure from some sections of the home support, with Vicario being jeered during his subsequent touches of the ball.
Manager and Player Address Crowd Reaction
When questioned by Sky Sports about the crowd's reaction, Vicario displayed a professional attitude. "Look it's part of football. It's part of football, so I am a big man, I am quite older," he stated. "We cannot be influenced for which is the situation in the stands."
However, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank delivered a much sharper critique of the fans who booed his goalkeeper. Frank strongly condemned the behaviour, saying, "I didn't like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times after that. They can't be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you're on the pitch."
The Danish manager made a clear distinction, adding, "I'm fine with them booing after the match, no problem, but not during. That is unacceptable in my opinion." This defeat adds pressure on Frank, with the team struggling to find consistent form in the Premier League.
