Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg says Wednesday’s trip to Anfield cannot come soon enough as his side look for a response to Sunday’s draw at Crystal Palace.
Spurs led through Harry Kane’s first-half goal but invited pressure on in the second half and succumbed to Jeffrey Schlupp’s late leveller.
They still ended the weekend top of the table after Liverpool also failed to win at Fulham, making it a battle of the top two in midweek.
Hojbjerg was critical of how his side managed the game at Palace and cannot wait to get back out there.
"We have a tough schedule and on Wednesday an opportunity to show what we're about and what we want to do."— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 13, 2020
“1-0 is always a good result if it stays like that, we could have controlled the game better, but we didn’t,” he said.
“In a way it is good we have a game on Wednesday because it makes us ready for the next opportunity and challenge.
“We have to step up, recover and go again, it is amazing we have the opportunity to go again.
“Every game the points count the same, every point is valuable and every game if you win you get three points.
“On Wednesday it is a special game, but so was Palace, so was last Sunday, so is next Sunday, every game is special, we need to understand that, we are understanding that and we need to keep going.
“We are in a good moment, we are performing and we need to keep going.
“The most important thing is as a team we are where we want to be, we have the chance to keep competing, we want to show that again on Wednesday and whenever the games are, we want to show we are up for the challenge, show how far we have come as a team and I think we have done that and we need to keep on doing that.”
Spurs’ goal came early on thanks to a 13th combination between Kane and Son Heung-min.
The South Korean assisted Kane for the fourth time this season as they took their total Premier League goal link-ups to 32.
But, perhaps typical of Hojbjerg as a player, the Dane is more impressed by their work-rate.
He added: “I think if you see all the great teams that have done something big, in this country, in European competitions, they have always had players who have stood out, but what for me is remarkable is that two world-class players like they are, two of the best players on the planet, they are working so hard for the team, they are so committed to the group, they are doing everything to put their ego aside.
“We players are loving playing with them, we need to put them in good situations and they need to execute. They are two of the best players on the planet.”
Despite Palace’s domination, they only came away with a point thanks to a string of saves by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, who denied Kane headers twice before producing a stunning injury-time save to stop Eric Dier’s free-kick.
But he was earlier at fault as he allowed Kane’s swerving shot to go under his body.
“It’s one point,” he said on the club’s official website. “An important point. It’s difficult against the first position but I’m very happy because one point is good.
“It was important because it’s one point for Crystal Palace. The fans have come back so it’s very, very important.
“The ball is moving. I think it’s my right, it changed side, it’s difficult. He [Kane] is a good player, I think he’s the best striker in the Premier League. Today, no save. Maybe next week, save.”
