Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga put in the best performance of his career so far yesterday, as he helped Spurs to three points over Premier League Champions Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season.
Demonstrating his excellent ability in one-on-one situations and his monstrous athleticism and aggression, Tanganga earned man-of-the-match for his display and received a standing ovation after being substituted late on.
What a team performance💪🏾. Fans were amazing! We go again🙏🏾. pic.twitter.com/P7PmNYnf7e
— Japhet Tanganga (@JTanganga99) August 15, 2021
“As a kid, you dream about these things,” said Tanganga. “For it to happen to me was an amazing feeling. Honestly, walking around, I had chills. I had to contain myself coming around to the bench. It was an amazing feeling and I really appreciate it.
“It wasn’t just me [that played well], it was everyone, we all put a shift in. We’ve worked hard on it, we all put a shift in during pre-season on the fitness side of the game. It was great to have the fans back as well, urging us on.
“We definitely felt their presence in the stadium, so it was a great feeling for everyone. I’m just glad they recognised the work we’ve put in and we gave them a win.”
Japhet Tanganga's pockets when he gets home tonight… #THFC | #COYS | #TOTMCI pic.twitter.com/1DE7RVUqgg
— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) August 15, 2021
Despite Pep Guardiola’s side playing the ball around with their typical swagger, they struggled to breakdown the frigid Spurs defence, and Tanganga was a key component in stopping some of the world’s best attackers right in their tracks.
“They were champions last season for a reason – anything less than 100 per cent from us and they have the quality to pick us off,” continued the England U21 international. “We had to be on it, make sure we’re ready and you could see from our performance, the hard work, players going down with cramp… we’ve put in the hard work, and it showed.
Japhet Tanganga's game by numbers vs. Man City:
100% long ball accuracy
90% pass accuracy
49 touches
4 duels won
4 fouls committed
2 tackles
2 clearances
1 interception
1 crossNo way past. â›” pic.twitter.com/Xo67Ngrgii
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 15, 2021
“I had my tactics. I knew coming into this game I had six weeks of preparation and I knew I had to go after Raheem to make sure he didn’t grow into the game. I thought not just me, but the whole team did that, and it paid off, we got the three points.”
đź—Ł "That was an unbelievable one on one defensive performance."@GNev2 praises the defensive masterclass from Japhet Tanganga against Man City pic.twitter.com/68BxdUj6mt
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 15, 2021
Spurs’ next fixture sees them head to Portugal to face off with Pacos de Ferreira in the UEFA Europa Conference League, before a trip to Nuno’s former club Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.