Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino praised the contribution of striker Vincent Janssen after his team defeated Southampton at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham surged into a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, before Southampton applied pressure after the break with a strike from James Ward-Prowse.
Pochettino is searching for options in attack with main striker Harry Kane likely to be out for four to six weeks. Janssen has struggled since his summer 2016 move from AZ Alkmaar with just one goal from open play in all competitions, but Pochettino was pleased with his performance as a second-half substitute.
"It was a great opportunity to win. Yes, you always will miss your main striker. But what can you do if he is injured? It was important for us to get that feeling, to win the game, to score goals," Pochettino said.
"Yes, he [Janssen] was good. Now he will have the opportunity to play more, to be more involved. Today he showed great energy."
Tottenham clawed its way back to ten points behind runaway English Premier League leader Chelsea with the victory on Sunday.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sportswriter at Newsweek.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
