- By Ben Pearce at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Lloris hails Richarlison after dream Champions League debut
By Ben Pearce at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Hugo Lloris says Richarlison the team-mate is entirely different to the opponent Tottenham faced during the Brazilian’s time with Watford and Everton. Richarlison scored his first Spurs goals in a dream Champions League debut on Wednesday, netting two headers in a 2-0 win over Marseille, and tears flowed afterwards as he celebrated with family and friends in the stands.
“Honestly, we discover a new player,” said Spurs captain Lloris. “We used to face him, and when you face an opponent you have no idea who they are really.
“I think he settled very well into the team and as you can see he’s finding his place. That’s good because we need everyone ready for competition.
“He deserves these goals. They’re very important for him but also for the team. He’s making a lot of effort every day in training, every time he has the opportunity in a game, and he scored two great headers.
“He’s a competitor. You just have to see him in training sessions or every game that we play. He’s always there to compete, to put the defenders under stress and pressure.
“That’s why he was rewarded for all his work, and for sure a lot is coming for him.”
Spurs will now quickly start preparing for Saturday’s trip to champions Manchester City, having beaten Pep Guardiola’s side in four of the last five Premier League meetings.
“We have to focus on recovering at the moment. Then we'll prepare for the game as good as we can,” said Lloris. “We have one day less of recovery [than them] and that can make the difference, we know.
“Then, yes, we know how they play. But also with the new signing [Erling] Haaland they have another aspect in their game which they can use. We’re going to study the way they play and we’ll try our best to get something.”
