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Woodgate gives verdict on Eric Dier display in Tottenham win
Jonathan Woodgate that Eric Dier was magnificent following Tottenham Hotspur’s stunning win over Manchester City on Saturday as the defender made his return to the side.
Spurs have definitely missed Dier of late. The 28-year-old had missed three of their previous four Premier League games due to injury. And without him, Antonio Conte’s men certainly struggled.
They conceded five goals in the two games before they faced City at the Etihad Stadium. And the backline had made a number of costly mistakes.
So it would have been little surprise to some that their colossal defensive display against the champions came following Dier’s return to the side.
He was outstanding alongside Cristián Romero. And Tottenham went on to edge a five-goal thriller that keeps Conte’s team right in the mix for the top four.
And Woodgate suggested that Dier’s return was huge for Tottenham on Saturday.
“He’s massively important to this team. He needs to help the likes of Romero, Davies and Sanchez,” . “He wants to push up, he’s the leader, he’s dictating where he wants the ball. Distribution with his left-foot, magnificent.
“Look at him again, leading the line. The players need to come up with him, but you can see he wants to lead and be aggressive. This is what Antonio Conte wants, he wants to condense the play and to keep it compact.
“He’s got excellent distribution, don’t forget he used to be a central midfielder. He doesn’t give much away, he gets himself in good positions.”
Dier well on his way towards being transformed under Conte at Tottenham
Conte made a huge claim shortly after his arrival in North London. He suggested that Dier could become one of the best in the world in his position.
At the time, that looked to be a risky claim from the Spurs boss. Dier had endured a few tough years in the Tottenham side, seemingly struggling to nail down a position after previously being so valuable due to his versatility.
However, Dier now looks to be well on his way towards getting his career back on track. Certainly, Conte’s praise is not looking anywhere near as brave just a few weeks on.
Keeping Dier fit for the remainder of the season could now be huge for Tottenham. He has now arguably established himself as one of the most important players within the Spurs squad.
Perhaps that only really became truly apparent once Dier was sidelined for a few games.