Tottenham defender Djed Spence is confident in his ability to keep Mohamed Salah at bay as Spurs prepare to defend their 1-0 lead in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool on Thursday.
The 24-year-old has become a key figure in Ange Postecoglou’s squad over the past two months, stepping up amidst a spate of injuries that have plagued Tottenham’s defence.
After playing a pivotal role in shutting down the defending champions during January’s first-leg victory, Spence is now focused on guiding his team to the final.
Tottenham’s defensive line has been severely impacted by injuries, with Radu Dragusin expected to miss the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury.
Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are also sidelined, while Micky van de Ven’s fitness remains uncertain following his absence from Sunday’s win over Brentford.
Salah, 32, currently tops the Premier League scoring charts with 21 goals, maintaining a two-goal lead over Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
A semi-final showdown awaits 😤
👉 @Castrol pic.twitter.com/pRS8pPYnHL
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 5, 2025
Spurs had been struggling with just one win in 11 league matches before securing a crucial 2-0 victory at Brentford. The pressure is mounting on Postecoglou, with Tottenham languishing in 14th place in the Premier League standings.
“I back myself against anyone. [Salah] is a great player and he is in good form but you have just got to nullify what he’s good at really,” Spence said.
“It’s been difficult but we fight for the manager, we fight for the club and you know, we all believe in what he wants to do.
“We have got to be confident and we have got to be ready to fight and hopefully we make it to the final.”
