Sat 31 August 2019, 10:38
Tottenham HotspurHugo Lloris has just about seen it all in north London derbies in seven years as a Spur.
Our skipper has experienced the highs (four home wins, including the last derby at the Lane) and the lows (5-2 defeat in his first derby, 4-2 last season) as the grudge match that started in 1921 continues to intensify.
Now 32 and a recent addition to our ‘300 Club’, Hugo doesn’t need prompting when asked about this fixture as we prepare to travel to the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday (4.30pm). He knows...
“It’s always the type of game we live with intensity and passion,” he told us after training on Friday. “We know there is a lot of expectation. It’s the type of game we all love to play.
“It’s always an important game and even more as both teams are chasing the same ambitions, more or less. That makes things even more intense.”
I can tell you, from the inside, for sure, we all want to bounce back and this game is the easiest way because you don’t need extra motivation
Had the pressure ramped up a notch after last week’s home defeat against Newcastle?
“Yes, there is even more expectation to see how the team will react,” he added. “I can tell you, from the inside, for sure, we all want to bounce back and this game is the easiest way because you don’t need extra motivation. It is natural.
“We all want to win, and we will go there to deliver the best performance we can. It’s an international break afterwards as well so it’s important to get points.”
7⃣ years of Hugo! 🙌
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 31, 2019
🗓️ On this day in 2012, we signed our skipper! #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/L7B91FriLj
It was mentioned to Hugo that one thing was missing on his derby CV – a win at the Emirates. Remember, Paulo Gazzaniga played in our League Cup quarter-final victory there last season.
How would he react to that? “I don’t like to talk about this before the game,” he smiled. “Hopefully it will happen and then we will see after on Sunday!”
