Nobody who witnessed Antonin Kinsky's sorrowful departure from Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium could have predicted that he would become one of Tottenham Hotspur's heroes in their battle for Premier League survival.
Kinsky appeared destined never to play for Spurs again when interim manager Igor Tudor substituted him after just 17 minutes, with Atletico already leading 3-0. The young Czech looked devastated. His two errors were compounded by the humiliation of his exit, as teammates hurried down the tunnel to console him.
Two months on, Tudor is gone, and Kinsky stands as a commanding presence in the Spurs goal, building a reputation for late saves that earn precious points and keep the club above the relegation zone.
Match-Winning Saves
On Monday against Leeds, Kinsky produced a brilliant reaction save to deny Sean Longstaff, who had burst clear in the eighth minute of stoppage time and shot from the corner of the six-yard box. Kinsky raised his right hand and pushed the fierce drive against the crossbar to keep the score at 1-1. Spurs had led but were content to secure another point.
Earlier in the first half, he made another exceptional save, diving low to his left to stop a header from Joe Rodon on the goal line. The Spurs fans chanted his name.
Just over two weeks earlier at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 23-year-old had made a flying stop to reach a swerving free kick from Joao Gomes, also in the eighth minute of added time. That save at Molineux preserved a 1-0 lead and ended a miserable run of 15 Premier League games without a win.
Those two saves were worth three points. Without them, Spurs would still be trailing relegation rivals West Ham United. As it stands, they are two points clear with a much healthier goal difference and fixtures remaining at Chelsea and at home to Everton. West Ham's last two games are at Newcastle and at home to Leeds.
Manager's Praise
'He's improving a lot,' said Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi after the draw against Leeds. 'He's a good goalkeeper. I had no doubt in my first days at Tottenham because I knew him before coming here. He played in Madrid, made that mistake, and it was tough for him. He has great personality, strong character, and he deserves to play a game like today.'
Guglielmo Vicario has been Spurs' number one since joining from Empoli in 2023. The Italian did not start against Atletico in Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie because he was resting a nagging hernia problem. However, he started the next three games before undergoing surgery during the March international break, after playing in a 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest, which turned out to be Tudor's last match in charge.
Kinsky was thrust back into the team when De Zerbi arrived because Vicario was out. On his return, less than a month after that night in Madrid, he was involved in a collision that ruled captain Cristian Romero out for the rest of the season. Romero was nudged in the back by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey at the Stadium of Light and crashed into the onrushing Kinsky. The Spurs captain suffered damage to medial knee ligaments and left the pitch in tears. Kinsky, who cut his head in the impact, was not at fault, but it was hardly an auspicious return. To add insult to injury, Spurs lost.
Rising Confidence
Since then, however, his confidence has soared and he has grown in stature. He is also more comfortable with the ball at his feet than Vicario, whom De Zerbi insists remains his number one but is still not ready to return. With fixtures running out, it seems increasingly unlikely Vicario will play again this season. In fact, there is a chance he will not play again in Spurs colours if a proposed £20 million move to Inter Milan materialises.
Kinsky, meanwhile, deserves to keep his place in the team. It is an incredible reversal of fortunes, because he had resigned himself to seeking a loan move in the summer to find the regular football needed to rebuild his reputation away from Spurs and the scrutiny of the Premier League.
Instead, Kinsky has passed a stern examination under intense pressure. Spurs have taken eight points from five games since he returned to the team, and he has conceded only five goals. With Vicario in goal, they conceded 13 in the five previous Premier League games, albeit those came during the chaos of Tudor's brief tenure.
If he continues in this form until the end of the season, Kinsky cannot have made a stronger claim to start next season as Spurs' number one.
