SAMI MOKBEL: Hugo Lloris gaffes in the north London derby will hasten Tottenham’s search for the new No1

“Oh, now you want to talk,” Hugo Lloris murmured softly as he turned down interview requests after England’s heartbreaking defeat by France at the World Cup.

His reply was noticeably terse, almost bitter.

It has since emerged that Lloris had taken offense at claims made against Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of the quarter-finals that he was a weak link in the French multi-talent.

Hugo Lloris was at fault for Arsenal’s first goal as he turned the ball into his own net

He would have enjoyed this moment; Who doesn’t like to have the last laugh?

Life comes at you fast; Unfortunately for Lloris, the joke was on him here on Sunday with Arsenal giggling at his expense.

Lloris’ predicament was not made better by the fact that his counterpart reinforced his reputation as one of the best rising goalkeepers in European football with another superb performance.

On the odd occasion that Tottenham managed to break through Arsenal’s defence, they faced Aaron Ramsdale in one of those moods where he wouldn’t let a mother pass with a double buggy.

Spurs keeper Lloris fumbled a Bukayo Saka cross into his own net after 14 minutes

For so long there has been no realistic challenger to Jordan Pickford’s role as England’s No1.

But don’t be surprised if Ramsdale is between the posts for England at Euro 2024.

Ironically, Pickford is one of the names being considered for Tottenham to replace Lloris – a transfer that would put more focus on the battle for Gareth Southgate’s first-choice goalkeeper.

But that’s all for the future. For Tottenham, Lloris’ form is a problem in the here and now.

The goalkeeper was lucky Arsenal did not take an early lead after his dawdling on the ball meant he had to make up for his own mistake to deny Eddie Nketiah a specific goal.

Saka’s cross was deflected by Sessegnon but the French keeper had to do much better

His next error in the 14th minute gave Arsenal the lead. Okay, Bukayo Saka’s attempt was hit hard, distracting Ryan Sessegnon, but Lloris somehow managed to get himself into an almighty mess – he fell back to deflect a cross shot destined to go over the goal in his own Network.

Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium fell into deaf silence for a second. Even the Arsenal supporters suffered twice before they went into a frenzy.

This was a mistake of epic proportions; in a game with gigantic consequences.

Lloris shook his head as he stood up, but there was no one else to blame.

And it’s a problem that has become increasingly common at Tottenham in recent months.

Is Lloris the weakest link in this Tottenham team? No – but that’s nothing to write home about. This is a side of Spurs that needs urgent repairs.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard drilled in a second from outside the box in the 36th minute

But the error catalog is growing. His error resulted in Emiliano Buendia’s goal in Aston Villa’s win here on New Year’s Day.

He dropped another klanger to give Callum Wilson a goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Tottenham in October.

Another flawed performance in the first North London derby of the season saw Arsenal defeat the 3-1 home winners at the Emirates.

Parts of the match-going fanbase have had enough. His manager Antonio Conte also seems to be at the end of his rope.

There was hope that Lloris could let his current contract, which expires at the end of next season, expire as the club’s No1 and then ride out into the sunset at the age of 38.

But the process of ending Lloris’ decades-long tenure as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper is accelerating.

Lloris had another day to forget as Tottenham were beaten 2-0 in the north London derby

Tottenham’s recruitment staff have started searching for Lloris’ replacement to sign a deal ahead of next season.

Spurs want a keeper who is comfortable with possession, who can make quick decisions with the ball at his feet; a trait that is noticeably one of Lloris’ weaknesses.

Pickford has all the attributes Tottenham are looking for; Indeed, if Everton were to be relegated, that deal should be relatively easy to complete – although it’s difficult to question when Daniel Levy is involved.

Brentford’s David Raya and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez are also options.

It’s hard to pillory Lloris. He has saved Tottenham time and time again with his brilliance.

In a barren era, at least in terms of trophies, Lloris’ excellence has been a constant.

But all good things come to an end and for Lloris that time has begun.