Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr substitutions explained as James Maddison lauds Tottenham ace
'Outstanding' Hojbjerg
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg demonstrated on Monday evening why he still has a major role to play for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham despite a drop in game time this season. Previously one of the first names on the teamsheet in his first three seasons with the club, the Dane has unfortunately had to settle for cameo appearances from the bench since the campaign started back in August.
Hojbjerg has made his mark in his game time, notably in the wins over Bournemouth, Liverpool and Luton Town, but minutes here and there are not what he wants as he, like every player, wants to be on the field for the full 90 minutes. With Yves Bissouma missing out against Fulham through suspension, Postecoglou made it perfectly clear in his pre-match press conference that Hojbjerg would almost certainly be starting after labelling him as a «ready-made replacement» for his teammate.
A few may have had concerns about Bissouma's absence given his pivotal role this term but they shouldn't have worried one bit thanks to Hojbjerg's assured display. Making his mark on the contest early on as he put himself about and produced some neat touches, the 28-year-old made a big contribution in his own box as Fulham looked to capitalise on a poor Guglielmo Vicario pass.
Gifting Willian possession in a good position in the box, Hojbjerg ensured that the goalkeeper wasn't punished for his error by getting a slight touch on the ball to stop the Brazilian from troubling the Lilywhites. As important as that bit of play was, he came up with another telling touch on 54 minutes as he produced a wonderful first-time pass from Calvin Bassey's wayward ball to play in Son Heung-min, who in turn teed up James Maddison for the team's second goal of the
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