Dier: 'We dominated from the beginning, but that's not enough...'
Thu 25 June 2020, 09:25|
Tottenham Hotspur
Eric Dier believes the team’s performance improved as the game went on and warranted the victory against West Ham on Tuesday.
A second-half own goal from Tomas Soucek was added to by Harry Kane’s late strike as we secured our first win and clean sheet since the Premier League’s restart.
Eric admitted the players weren’t happy with the way they started the match, but was pleased to see us claim what he felt was a deserved 2-0 victory in the end as we continue to push for a route back into the European qualifying places.
“It’s a huge win,” he said. “We knew what we needed to do before the game and we didn’t do it at the beginning of the game – I think we were really disappointed with our performance for most of the first half.
“In the second half we did a lot better and we won, which we knew we had to do if we’re to have any chance of trying to reach our objectives.
“I feel like we dominated the game from the beginning but that’s not enough. We were a bit sloppy in possession in the first half, a bit slow, missing lots of passes and allowing West Ham to break on the counter which is what they wanted to do. I think in the second half we were a lot more crisp with our passing, moving it a lot quicker. We then tried to find gaps and they started to tire, I felt, and we managed to get the two goals.”
Eric impressed alongside Davinson Sanchez at the heart of an unchanged back four as we prevented West Ham from getting off the mark, with the England international pleased to have kept one of the Hammers’ dangermen, Michail Antonio, under control.
“I know him a little bit from playing with him with England,” said Eric of Antonio, who had scored four goals in six Premier League games against us going into Tuesday’s clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “I think he’s one of the most difficult strikers to come up against in the Premier League, maybe not for his goals but for his work ethic, the way he’ll press you, the way he’ll challenge for every ball and run in behind. He’s a very difficult challenge and I’m pleased with how we handled him.”
Sheffield United are up next at Bramall Lane on Thursday 2 July, kick-off 6pm.
