Toby Alderweireld has described Tottenham's victory against Southampton on Saturday as the "most important win of the season", adding that it proved that the players are united and full of character.
Spurs dug deep to win 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, despite having Serge Aurier sent off in the first half for two bookable offences and conceding a bizarre equaliser after Hugo Lloris' awful mistake that allowed Danny Ings to score.
But Harry Kane's goal two minutes before half time proved to be the winner for Tottenham, and Alderweireld was full of praise for his team-mates after the game, adding that it could easily have been a different story, after a disappointing run of results in recent weeks.
"I think this [Southampton] was a game that, maybe in the period that we think that we are then we could have lost easily, because after 30 minutes if you get a red card and then you concede like this, it had all the ingredients to lose the game and I think we were wonderful," the Belgian defender said.
"Especially second half I think we had a good tactic, how we wanted to play, we knew we would have to run a lot and defend, but I think we did wonderful. Of course, if you play against 10 men for 45 minutes, you know there are going to be some chances for them but I think Hugo [Lloris] did very well second half and as a team, unbelievable credit to us.
"Everyone is talking about ‘there’s not a unit in the dressing room, it’s all gone wrong.’ It’s not like this, I think we haven’t played badly.
"We were now in a little bit of a corner where it hasn’t happened for us and we have to grind for the results, and I think it would have been an easy game to lose [against Southampton] but to get this result it showed a lot of character from the lads."
Meanwhile, Alderweireld has spoken about what was said in the dressing room at half time as Spurs looked to put the events of the first 45 minutes and recent weeks behind them.
"We said at half time, ‘this is the moment to prove that we are a team’ and it was important to get three points," he said.
"This is a good opportunity to show everybody, not to fight with the press or anything but, we understand that if you don’t win then people are going to criticise us, we know this, that’s top football.
"But this was a good moment to show we are a very good team, and I think tactically as well we are good, everybody knows what they were doing, and what they needed to do. It wasn’t nice playing because we had to be without the ball, but we had to work, work, work, to get the three points, which was massive.
"I think we showed everybody wants to fight for the team and wants to get good results and I think we showed that."
Alderweireld also singled out Moussa Sissoko for praise, after the former Newcastle United midfielder filled in at right-back following Aurier's dismissal.
"I helped him a lot," he joked.
"No, he was wonderful, he knows what to do, that’s quality, to play in a position that maybe he never played in before and then put in a performance like this.
"Of course, it helps as a team that everyone was coaching and helping and communicating, so that was important, but yeah massive credit to him."
