Speaking after the game, the Italian was clearly pleased with a welcome three points that halved the gap on the Londoners in the table.
"We are delighted with the win," he said. "It was such a tough game against a tough opponent that the gaffer warned us about but we worked hard and got the three points so we are happy."
Darmian was tested against Mauricio Pochettino's men, particularly when Moussa Sissoko came on in the second period, but the Italian felt that he was able to get the measure of the Frenchman as the game went on.
"Sissoko is very strong and powerful but, after a while, I focused more and I felt I was able to be cleverer about it and push him out of the game by giving him less space to use his physicality," he said.
"When we are 1-0 up, we have to be very focused because every detail can make a difference and teams can score in the last minute which we have found out over the course of the season so it would be nicer to have more goals at the other end, if possible!"
United’s congested Christmas period starts on Wednesday with a trip to Crystal Palace and the Reds defender believes that the focus must shift to the game at Selhurst Park and beyond as United head into a crucial part of the season.
"Every game is a difficult game in the Premier League so we must focus and prepare for the game," he added. "We will give our all to win because we know we will have to be at our best to win.
"There are lots of games close together in the festive period and it is a chance to pick up a lot of points. Teams around us could lose so it is important that we stay focused over the Christmas period."
Darmian has found himself at home in the unfamiliar role of left-back in the last few weeks but it seems to be a position that he as perfectly comfortable in.
"I’m just happy to be playing in the team," Darmian explained. "It is not too much different from right-back and, as long as I’m playing, I’ll give my all to stay in the team."
No comments:
Post a Comment