Spurs’ recent run of good form has nothing to do with luck, says Lloris

Hugo Lloris has dismissed suggestions that Tottenham’s recent form is a fluke.

Sonheung-min’slast-minute goal earned a thrilling 3-2 victory at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

A third straight win saw Jose Mourinho’s side climb to fifth – a position which could earn them a Champions League spot after Manchester City’s European ban for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

Spurs beat City 2-0 earlier this month, with Lloris saving Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty and the visitors missing a string of chances, while Son’s goal which saw off Villa came after a defensive error.

“I don’t think it’s about luck,” goalkeeper Lloris said. “If you look at some games earlier in the season, we were very unlucky. We know we can do much better.

“Only the points matter. We had a difficult game. We have to give a lot of credit to Villa but we never gave up. We expected a tough game, it was a big battle played in difficult conditions with a lot of wind.

“There are a lot of positive things, we still need to correct the negative ones but we have to be happy with the result.

“We gave too much possessionawaybutawayfromhome it’s never easy.”

Toby Alderweireld’s own goal gave Villa the lead but the defender levelled in the first half. Son’s first strike, when he followed up after Pepe Reina saved his penalty, put Spurs 2-1 up at the break but Bjorn Engels’ header made it 2-2.

Reina frustrated Tottenham with a string of second-half saves before he was beaten by Son after Engels missed a routine clearance.

“Let’s take heart from the performance we put on the pitch,” Reina told the club’s official site. “Engs has had a brilliant game but, unfortunately, it happens.

“We need to cheer him up because he’s been fantastic.