Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard has added to the plaudits for David De Gea’s outstanding performance on Sunday by pointing out the confidence he provides for the outfield players.
The Spaniard produced a string of top-quality saves to keep a second consecutive Premier League clean sheet and help the Reds win 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
In trademark style, he thwarted the opposition on several occasions with his feet, as well as the odd acrobatic lunge to prevent the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son from finding the back of the net.
In trademark style, he thwarted the opposition on several occasions with his feet, as well as the odd acrobatic lunge to prevent the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son from finding the back of the net.
“He was excellent - but it was a normal day for him,”Lingard told reporters after the game.
“When they looked like scoring, he saved us. We see that in training and it pays off when it comes to the big games. With some of his saves, you're like 'oh my God'.He's one of the best keepers in the world, if not the best. Having a keeper like that gives you extra confidence.“
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While De Gea was excelling at one end of the pitch on Sunday, Lingard was impressive at the other end. The Reds' no.14 played a slightly different role against Tottenham and often operated through the centre, allowing Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial more space on the wings for them to cut inside.
This proved particularly effective just before half-time when Rashford surged past Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen and fired the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.
This proved particularly effective just before half-time when Rashford surged past Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen and fired the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.
“It was good and I really enjoyed it,”replied Lingard, when asked about playing in the centre of United's attack.
“We’d been practising all week in Dubai with the formation - it wasn't a holiday over there, it was work - and tactically it was great in the first half.We're very organised. We want to attack, we want to make those runs forward. The midfielders are running forward and we're putting other teams under pressure. It's working and we need to carry it on.“
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Lingard revealed that caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had used the week away in Dubai to work with individuals including Rashford, as well as plotting the Reds’ tactical approach as a team.
”Throughout the training sessions in Dubai, he practised his finishing with the manager,“ Jesse said of Marcus. ”It's prepared him for big games and moments like that [the winning goal].“
The win at Wembley means United have pulled level on points with fifth-placed Arsenal and are just six points off Chelsea in fourth. While Lingard believes the Reds can still claim a Champions League spot, he won't be getting carried away.
“For us now, we've got to keep looking forward. We've got another game against Brighton on Saturday and we need three points. We'll see where we are at the end of the season.”