Mauricio Pochettino has praised Vincent Janssen’s performance in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
With Liverpool leading 2-0 at Anfield and heading towards a comfortable victory, Spurs were awarded a penalty in the 76th minute.
The striker, who joined Tottenham from AZ Alkmaar on a four-year deal in the summer, scored from the spot to reduce the arrears; Liverpool managed to hold on to their slender lead and progressed to the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition.
Janssen has thus far made 14 appearances in all competitions for the north London club, scoring twice, with both of them being spot-kicks in the EFL Cup.
Janssen has been criticised for not scoring in the Premier League since he joined Spurs, especially with his side needing him following an injury to Harry Kane. However, Pochettino, who insisted that Janssen needs time to settle into English football, lauded the 22-year-old’s display at Anfield.
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The Argentine manager went on to add that he is very pleased with the effort and commitment the Dutchman puts into every game and even in training.
“Today I think he was fantastic”, Pochettino told Spurs TV.
“He played very well, he made a big effort and he scored.
"We are very happy with him.
"We need to understand that he’s 22, he’s come in from the Netherlands, a different league, and always we need to give time.
“But one thing is clear, that he is a player who works a lot, who is always involved and the commitment he shows in every game and every training session is fantastic."
Janssen, who is contracted with Spurs until 2020, has nine caps and four goals for the Netherlands to his name.
