‘Don’t know how to celebrate’ – Matt Doherty opens up on scoring first Spurs goal

Matt Doherty has hailed Tottenham’s performance at Elland Road on Saturday, insisting that he and his teammates showed the right character to bounce back from the midweek disappointment.

There was plenty of doom and gloom surrounding Spurs heading into the clash against Leeds after Antonio Conte’s public outburst following the midweek defeat at Turf Moor (Football.London).

The Spurs boss made two changes to the side that lost at Burnley, with Doherty and Harry Winks coming into the starting eleven.

The players certainly delivered the kind of response Conte was looking for, producing a clinical performance in front of goal and coming away with a clean sheet.

Doherty admitted that Tottenham expected a tough afternoon on Saturday and praised the confidence that the players showed.

Speaking after the 4-0 win, the right-back told the club’s official website: “That’s pretty much every box ticked! Look, we played well.

“We came out of the traps flying, got the early goals and everyone played with personality, character, confidence and in the end, we kind of blew them away.

“We were expecting a reaction from Leeds after what happened to them during the week (a 6-0 loss at Liverpool), they were at home, early kick-off, but we nullified them well and we were ruthless.”

Doherty opened the scoring for the away side, getting on the end of Ryan Sessegnon’s cross to produce a smart finish. The 30-year-old also got an assist for Dejan Kulusevski’s goal and produced a fine defensive display.

When asked about his goal, the former Wolves man responded: “I knew the ball was going to be right because Sess was on the end of the pass and he’s got quality, so once he was there, I knew he was going to put it in the right spot, then it was up to me to get the right connection, fortunately, this time around I did and it went in, my first goal for Tottenham.

“It’s taken a long time, but it feels pretty good. Like I said, it’s been a long time, I guess (the celebration) was a culmination of a lot of different things that bring those emotions. I still don’t know how to celebrate properly! You kind of get lost, don’t you?”

Spurs Web Opinion

I was extremely pleased to see Doherty do well as he comes across as a very likeable character. His confidence would have likely taken a hit over the last year and a half, owing to his lack of opportunities.

I have been surprised that Conte has not used the former Wolves man more often over recent weeks, given Emerson’s struggles. Hopefully, Doherty can take confidence from his display at Elland Road and build on the performance.

Related Topics