Jose Mourinho makes Hugo Lloris claim after Spurs draw

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Jose Mourinho has responded after being asked whether he blames Hugo Lloris for the equaliser Tottenham Hotspur conceded at Crystal Palace on Sunday, in comments reported by Football London.

Spurs remain unbeaten in the Premier League since the opening day. However, their most recent result may feel like a defeat.

Tottenham were well short of their best at Selhurst Park. And Palace required an inspired display from Vicente Guaita to secure a share of the points.

The draw came after Palace’s second-half equaliser. Lloris did not manage to hold onto a free-kick and that allowed Jeffrey Schlupp to poke the ball home from close range.

It was not a moment that the Frenchman will have been happy with. But Mourinho refused to blame the captain, instead choosing to make a big claim about his goalkeeper.

“My goalkeeper is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League so I would never be critical of the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, period,” he said, as reported by Football London, when asked whether he places any blame on Lloris.

“If I have to blame anybody, I have to blame ourselves, the team.”

Lloris – who earns £100,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – has been very impressive when called upon during Mourinho’s tenure. However, he will surely be disappointed to have not done better with dealing with the free-kick.

But Mourinho is surely making a smart move absolving Lloris of blame. He will need no further reminders that he should have done better.

If Lloris is at his best, Tottenham stand a much better chance of battling for the title this season. So allowing him to put that error behind him quickly makes a lot of sense.