Davies on resolute display against Bournemouth: "It was about spirit"
Wed 03 January 2024, 16:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Ben Davies was impressed with our spirited performance in our 3-1 win over in-form AFC Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve.
Putting in a full shift at centre-back for the ninth straight Premier League game, Ben delivered yet another committed and resolute display to help weather long spells of Bournemouth pressure and keep one of the league’s form strikers in Dominic Solanke at bay to end 2023 on a high at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Cherries had won six of their previous seven, drawing the other 2-2 against in-form Aston Villa, and had netted at least twice in each of those thanks in part to Solanke’s 12 league goals – six in December alone – that has him equal-third with Heung-Min Son in the top scorer charts.
However, impressive rear-guard action, embodied by our number 33’s sliding block to deny the striker’s goal-bound shot to keep the score at 1-0, helped limit Guglielmo Vicario, someone who Ben has upmost confidence in, to just one save throughout as goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Heung-Min Son and Richarlison at the other end saw us return to winning ways.
It was one of those games where perhaps when the quality wasn’t there, it was about spirit, standing up to the challenge.
"I’ve always been prepared for when my time comes to play," the 30-year-old affirmed. "We’ve had a couple of tough results but it’s all about giving your best and I think I’ve been doing that, so it was nice to get a good win with a good performance, I'm very happy.
"I was very impressed with Bournemouth, they were very aggressive, pressed well and made it difficult for us. It was one of those games where perhaps when the quality wasn’t there, it was about spirit, standing up to the challenge."
On Vicario, he added: "He’s been excellent since he came in. He’s made some huge saves in big moments and brings a good presence back there, he’s calm, full belief in himself. He had some big shoes to fill, following Hugo. It’s sad seeing Hugo leaving, but it’s a huge opportunity for Vic and it’s been an absolute pleasure to play with him."
Watch - Vicario's best saves so far
Into his 10th season here, the experienced Wales international – now up to 325 appearances in all competitions – was initially used as a left-back under Ange Postecoglou but has ably shifted across into a central defensive role in our 4-3-3 system, adjusting to three different centre-back combinations since his first league start at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 11 November as injuries and suspensions have disrupted our backline.
Sparking a late chance of a comeback with his first goal of the season to halve the deficit in our 4-2 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion on 28 December – having been 4-0 behind – we responded with an important victory in N17 last time out, keeping pace with a closely-bunched top four which sees us end the calendar year one point behind Manchester City and Arsenal in third and fourth despite missing key personnel throughout the season.
"We’re there and thereabouts," said the Welshman. "Even the games we’ve lost, you’d argue it’s probably been our fault that we lost, rather than being played off the park or teams have dominated where we haven’t been good enough.
"There's still not a lot in it at the top and that's probably just us missing a couple of games off the back of our faults and on another day we could have been a couple of spots higher. So staying there, being there or thereabouts and hopefully we can stay there for a bit longer.
"That’s not the be-all and end-all right now, but if you put yourself in position come the last eight games, something like that, then you take notice of it, but we’re there and thereabouts."
Up next, we are in FA Cup third-round action against top-flight opposition in Burnley on Friday night, a 'special' trophy that the defender wants to mount a serious challenge in this term.
"The FA Cup is special," added Ben. "It’s a trophy, something we want to go far in and really have a go at this year.
"Burnley might not have been picking up the points in the league, but they are a good side that plays attacking football. It will be tough, but, on our day, we’re more than capable of getting the win and going through."
