Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: “You have to play every game as if it’s the only one”

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has talked us through his mindset as we reach the end of a gruelling schedule ahead of the World Cup.

The Denmark midfielder’s magnificent, late, late strike to beat Olympique de Marseille, secure top spot in Group D and progress into the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night represented the 10th of 13 matches in 43 days from 1 October to the break for the World Cup after we face Leeds United in the Premier League on 12 November.

All high-level, energy-sapping matches in the Premier League or Champions League, Pierre has started nine of those 10 matches and 18 of our 19 matches so far this season, missing only the home loss against Newcastle United on 23 October.

That continues an incredible spell of consistency where the Viking has featured in 120 of our 130 matches since joining us in 2020, including starting 86 of our 89 Premier League games, quite a feat in that midfield battleground he loves to compete in.

Asked how he’s coping with this sequence ahead of joining Denmark in Qatar, Pierre told us: “It’s exciting, it’s hard, it’s wrong to say it’s not, but it’s exciting. Games come left and right, and you have to cope with that mentally, physically, emotionally and it’s something that if you take the right way, you can grow a lot.

“The same stands for everyone. Most important is to play every game as if it’s the only one, to take three points, then onto the next one. I feel okay, feel good, excited every time we play, so far, so good.”

Pierre is certainly in fine form alongside central partner Rodrigo Bentancur. Pierre has already topped his previous best goal tallies in 2020/21 (two goals in all competitions) and 2021/22 (three goals) with his magic moment in Marseille his fourth of the campaign already in those 18 matches. Meanwhile, his pass set up Ryan Sessegnon’s goal to get us back into the game at 2-0 down at Bournemouth on Saturday, where Rodri hit the winner, just days after scoring the equaliser against Sporting Lisbon.

Asked in his pre-match press conference at the Stade Velodrome on Monday if those goals and assists were a natural evolution of his all-round game, Pierre responded: “We are working intensely for quite a time, working intensely in a system where everyone is well aware what to do with specific roles, but we are always trying to look for improvement and new situations.

“When you get that confidence and understanding into the bones of the system, you start to come up with your own touch, which everyone is always trying to do. I’m not sure the coaches are telling me specifically to do that, but it’s not a bad thing!”