Hugo: “Every game can be decisive”
Captain and approaching nine years as a Spur, it’s fair to say Hugo Lloris feels the taste of derby defeat as sharply as anyone, but he’s determined it’s just a blip after a fine recent run.
We went into Sunday’s clash on a run of five straight wins, with 15 goals scored and one conceded.
But, typically, form didn’t matter, and our winning stretch came to a halt as Erik Lamela’s wonderful ‘rabona’ goal on 33 minutes was cancelled out by Martin Odegaard’s deflected strike just before half-time and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty midway through the second half.
Lamela was later sent off but our 10 men rallied in the final 15 minutes and came close to a late equaliser when Harry Kane’s free-kick struck the post and Gabriel managed to nod Davinson Sanchez’s follow up off the line.
“It’s a stop in our winning ways, but this is not the moment to let it down,” said Hugo. “There are 10 games to go in the Premier League, still many points to win and that’s why we can be disappointed now, but from tomorrow (Monday) we have to prepare for the second leg of the Europa League (Dinamo Zagreb away on Thursday), where we have full ambition, and also Aston Villa away (Sunday).
“Every game can be decisive. We are very disappointed for us, the club, for our fans, our thoughts go to them, and we missed them at the Emirates, but we have to stay strong and keep going.”
Hugo and Jose Mourinho conceded we didn’t play well, particularly in the first half, but key moments went against us - Heung-Min Son was injured early, the deflected equaliser, the penalty and Harry hitting the post late all added up to defeat.
“There is a lot of disappointment, obviously, after this defeat,” added Hugo. “I don’t think we made the performance that we prepared and expected, but we took the lead in the first half, a half that we played in a very average way, but we took the lead with a fantastic goal and it was the moment to take control of the game and finish the first half with this result.
“To concede the goal just before half-time brought Arsenal back into the game mentally and in the second half, we didn’t create too much until the red card.
“At that moment, we can be proud of the last 10, 15 minutes, because that’s the moment we increased the level of intensity, the level of aggressiveness and you can see that if we’d started in that way, the game might have probably been different. That’s why we can have regrets. But we don’t have too much time to think. There is Europa League and then Aston Villa away next Sunday, and that will be important.”