- Kinsky saw Leandro Trossard’s effort squirm beneath him for Arsenal’s winner
- Before the match, he had had a perfect start to life at Tottenham
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Antonin Kinsky has one option: puff up his chest and go again. But this will sting, make no mistake.
Life comes at you fast. First you record your first clean sheet in a dream debut against Liverpool.
You follow that up with another shut-out in the FA Cup win over Tamworth on Saturday.
Suddenly you’re announced as Tottenham’s next number 1 for ten years. But then last night happens.
A crash course in the perils of Premier League football for Tottenham’s rookie goalkeeper.
His first mistake in English football was a big one.
Antonin Kinsky’s mistake in Arsenal’s winning goal against Tottenham on Wednesday will sting
Lenadro Trossard’s goal found its way under the goalkeeper and into the back of the net
How the goalkeeper recovers from the mistake against his side’s rivals could determine the rest of his Tottenham career
Playing for Tottenham doesn’t get much bigger than playing against Arsenal.
Making a mistake against Arsenal is something completely different. If your team concedes and loses because of your mistake in a North London derby, well…
Kinsky has now suffered that shame. The sight of Leandro Trossard’s effort, albeit badly hit, squeezing out of his outstretched left hand can give him nightmares.
How the goalkeeper recovers from that blow could well determine the rest of his Tottenham career.
That may sound dramatic and rather reactionary. Maybe.
But as a rookie Premier League goalkeeper you don’t get many opportunities to make these kinds of blunders before the pressure mounts.
The good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) for Kinsky is that he has no alternative but to get right back on the horse.
With recognized first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out for a long period of time, Kinsky is likely to keep his place for this weekend’s visit to Everton.
Kinsky has no choice but to get right back on the horse this weekend
Ange Postecoglou’s side is injured and Kinsky is currently the No. 1 choice between sticks
The 21-year-old also made a number of mistakes that would have given Arsenal confidence
You can only imagine what another mistake could do to his confidence.
The Czech goalkeeper’s start to his Spurs career has been so positive that some supporters have predicted Kinsky will remain No.1 once Vicario makes a full recovery. This was a reality check.
But it’s one the 21-year-old needs to keep in mind.
In addition to his fatal mistake, Kinsky made a number of errors in possession that would hardly have given his teammates confidence.
They were a type of possession that also cheered on the opposing fans; the ironic cheers that erupted from the home crowd whenever Kinsky had the ball at his feet, a result of his early deviations.
A goalkeeper’s job is to add calm to his defense, not chaos.
But that said, Kinsky’s obvious comfort with the ball at his feet is probably his main attraction.
The role of a goalkeeper is multi-faceted these days. Keeping the ball out of the net remains fundamental, but possession of the ball is of paramount importance.
The game has changed and Spurs appear to have a goalkeeper who can take them into the future, even if over-confidence in his own abilities left his team in some unnecessarily tight situations against Arsenal.
But the youngster seems to have all the raw materials to become a modern-day top goalkeeper. However, there are more mistakes like the ones here in the Emirates…