Spurs 2-0 Fulham | Ange's praise for Pierre's performance
Tue 24 October 2023, 14:15|
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who played a huge part in our second, clinching goal in Monday night's 2-0 win against Fulham, his first start in the Premier League this season.
Coming in for suspended Yves Bissouma, Pierre planted a first-time angled pass into Sonny from Fulham defender Calvin Bassey's clearance under pressure, Sonny rolled into James Maddison, who did the rest for 2-0 on 54 minutes.
It was a similar story for our opening goal on 36 minutes. This time, Micky van de Ven intercepted Bassey's pass out of defence and cushioned a pass into the path of Richarlison, who found Heung-Min Son, who found the top corner for 1-0 on 36 minutes. Fulham created a few late chances at 2-0 but we kept a clean sheet to go back to the top of the Premier League with a seventh win in nine.
Pierre coming in allowed us to continue to try to play the same way we want to without making too many adjustments, he was great
Asked about Pierre's display in his post-match press conference, Ange said: "I thought Pierre was good. He's been good in every game he's played for us. I've put him on in some difficult situations and he's handled them really well. He's very experienced and I thought he handled it well tonight.
"I thought in the first half in particular we stayed calm on the ball and had some good tempo. Like I said, I thought our pressing was outstanding all game and I thought Pierre was a big part of that. It was important to have him in there, his experience coming in because Biss has been very important for us and in such a crucial role, but I thought he was excellent."
Asked how important it is to have players like Pierre coming into the side and, in the second half, early substitute appearances for Emerson Royal for Destiny Udogie and Oliver Skipp for Pape Matar Sarr, Ange added: "It's vital. Obviously, you're not going to have the same 11 every game, that's for sure.
"But like I said, it's not like Pierre hasn't been involved. He's been very influential. Every player wants to start but for me, it's not just the players who start, it's about those who contribute, and he's been a contributor all year."
