Tottenham midfield enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg refused to celebrate Spurs' 96th-minute equaliser at Chelsea but admitted it was “sweet for the heart.”
In the latest Battle of Stamford Bridge, against a backdrop of brawling managers and no love lost, Harry Kane's header in added time gave Spurs a rare point on a ground where they have only won once in 38 games.
Hojbjerg, whose controversial equaliser had earlier made it 1-1, conceded Tottenham “lost control of the game” for long periods of a feisty contest. But under previous regimes, it is hard to envisage Spurs producing the required levels of grit to salvage something from a derby where they have rarely prospered.
Hojbjerg acknowledged a point was a small step forward, but he was not ready to hang out the bunting after coming back twice at the Bridge. He said: “The past is the past. What's important is the facts and the present. I don't like to celebrate a draw, but the team showed good character, good resilience and it was also nice that we gave the fans something to celebrate. But there were moments in the game when I think we were too far from controlling the game.
“Sometimes, even with the ball you can't always be in control, and I thought after making it 1-1 especially we were a bit too emotional and lost control of the game. This was not, from my point of view, so good from the team. But again, the way we came back and believed was important. We don't win – OK, but Chelsea don't win either - this is a step forward definitely but it's difficult for me to celebrate a draw. If you don't win, they don't win. This is something we take with us and the way we came back I thought was fantastic. And then to give the fans something to celebrate is sweet for the heart.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Spurs finish this season? Let us know in the comments section
Head coach Antonio Conte's running battle of wits with Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel made for a lively spectacle, and their post-match tiff over a handshake was compelling viewing and pathetic in equal measure. Both managers were shown the red card by referee Anthony Taylor for their antics, but Hojbjerg senses Conte's fiery character is filtering through to the players. He said: “It's his personality and something as a player you know he brings. It's important. I think in this case the officials could have said, 'OK, no need for cards in this game' after the finish. And just leave it a bit, you know? It's difficult to comment on decisions but I didn't think it was necessary for the officials to be giving red cards after the game.”
Spurs were lifted by subs Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison, and the Danish midfield anchorman admitted: “If you want to be a top, top team, you have to have two players that can contribute in every position. That's what I learned when I grew up in Munich in my early years in professional football.
"They had minimum two players in every position. And it makes everyone stay on their toes. It's important to keep a good mentality and know that it's going up and down through the season but everyone must always try to give their best to the team. It's up to the manager to pick the players for each game in terms of details, the physical aspect, the emotional and technical aspect.” Spurs have a chance to underline their promising start with games against Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
