With Hugo Lloris ruled out of this weekend’s clash at Wembley with Liverpool with a thigh injury (coupled with the fallout from his drink-driving ban), Michel Vorm is expected to step in between the sticks for Tottenham Hotspur.
Fans hoping for a repeat of last year’s demolishing at the national stadium have to be extremely optimistic however, as the Dutchman’s record when facing Liverpool is dire to say the least.
Vorm has been a goalkeeper in the Premier League since arriving in the 2011 summer having been bought from Eredivise side Ultrecht by then-Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers.
In the Premier League he has made just over a century of appearances, keeping clean sheets in just under a third of those fixtures, and has made a total of 314 saves, including three penalties.
His first season at the Swans remains his most successful; the goalkeeper featured in all but one game, keeping a career high in the English league of 14 clean sheets, which contributed to Swansea gaining 12 wins and one draw and eventually left the South Wales club admirably finishing mid-table in their first season in the English top tier.
In 2014 Vorm signed for Spurs for £3.5million on a four-year deal after three years at Swansea, making the move alongside Ben Davies in a swap deal for Gylfi Sigurðsson.
However Vorm has made just twelve Premier League appearances in the five seasons he’s been at the Lilywhites; less than half he managed in his final year at Swansea City.
In total - both at Swansea and at Spurs- on the eight league occasions in which Vorm has faced the Liverpool line, his side have won just once, and this coming back in the end of his inaugural season in 2011/12 at the Liberty Stadium. Since then, Vorm has appeared on the winning side only once - again for the Swans - coming in a 3-1 League Cup victory at Anfield in the fourth round the season after, in October 2012.
If Spurs lose or draw this weekend, and Vorm features as expected, it will mean 2155 days will have past since Vorm was part of a team that managed to gain a victory over the Reds.
Currently, the odds have swayed in Liverpool’s favour. Jurgen Klopp’s side remain favourites to gain revenge at Wembley at 7/5, with close to 60% of bets going on the Reds to continue their winning run- Liverpool have claimed maximum points a month into the season to leave them top of the Premier League table.
Notably, in the past three meetings between the two sides, one player from either side has managed to bag a brace. Most recently, it was PFA Player of the Year Mo Salah in the 2-2 draw in February. Preceding that Kane gained his double whammy in the 4-1 rout, and in the previous February Sadio Mané popped up with two without reply.
On this forthcoming occasion, Spurs’ talisman Kane is favourite to do again at a very short 4/1. Liverpool’s Mané looks the best bet, out at 12/1 - behind Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Llorente. The Senegalese has so far scored four goals in four appearances so far this season, including a brace on the opening weekend against West Ham.
Tottenham Hotspur versus Liverpool kicks off 12:30pm, Saturday 15th September.
You can follow the match live with The Sportsman, using the link below.
