'We defended for our lives' - Davies reflects amid a huge week
Mon 09 May 2022, 17:07|
Tottenham Hotspur
If there was an award for ‘defensive block of the season’, we’ve probably just seen it at Anfield on Saturday evening.
Ben Davies typified the team’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool, no more so than in the 73rd minute, when Mo Salah cut in from right onto his left foot and let fly from just inside the box, only for the Welsh defender to throw himself in the way to make the block. It was later highlighted on Match of the Day and described as ‘magnificent’ by pundit and the Premier League’s record goalscorer, Alan Shearer.
“In those moments, you just try to put your body in the way of everything,” reflected Ben at Anfield. “Even with their goal (Luis Diaz’s shot deflected in off Rodrigo Bentancur), that’s what we tried to do. We did that to a man, as a unit, we defended for our lives. This team has so much quality it’s tough out there, everyone has to be focussed defensively. I just got in the way of one.”
Named Man of the Match by broadcasters BT Sport, Ben even found himself on the end of a counter-attack late on, firing his shot just over, one of a few chances we create late on.
“We defended well but we’re gutted about the goal and the way it went in,” added Ben. “Our best opportunities were on the counter. I ended up getting up there in the end, but Sonny sold me a bit short! I thought I’d just try and smash it as hard as I could.
“On another day, we’d have got something more, but it was a tough game and to come away from Anfield with a point, I guess you can’t be too disappointed.
“Defensively, we felt organised, and don’t discount the wing-backs as well, in the system against Liverpool, the way they play, their wingers play high and wide and we have to be switched on for those runs to the back post, I thought Sess and Emerson were really good and helped us out a lot.”
Arsenal are next on Thursday night (7.45pm) in a huge north London derby, the first to be played in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Gunners moved four points ahead of us in fourth with three matches remaining by beating Leeds on Sunday.
“We knew the importance of the result at Anfield, and a draw continues our momentum, now we’re ready for the big one,” added Ben. “We can’t wait. These are the matches you want to be involved in. We probably wouldn’t have expected to be here before the manager came in, he's put us in this position to really have a go.”
