Sunderland star Jermain Defoe held his nerve from the spot twice yesterday.
Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of his side’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool yesterday, Black Cats defender John O’Shea gave his verdict on the penalty spat between teammates Jermain Defoe and Fabio Borini, as quoted by the Sunderland Echo.
The pair squabbled over who should take the two penalties, with Defoe winning the argument on both occasions.
And O’Shea praised the 34-year-old Englishman’s nerve, for slotting both spot-kicks home, as quoted by the Sunderland Echo:
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe celebrates
“I would have been shocked if Jermain had let him take it, I’d have said ‘no, no, Jermain’s the man in form’. It’s great Fabio wants to take them and it may have given JD that added bit of pressure, but he handled it. Fabio may be waiting a while to get back on them, something he won’t be too happy about!”
Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe and Fabio Borini
Defoe has now scored 11 goals in 20 Premier League outings, and his importance to David Moyes’ side must have started to become a worry for the Scotsman.
Without him, the Wearsiders would represent a totally toothless proposition in an attacking sense, and must be something that they have to rectify over the course of the January transfer window.
Sunderland now face what could be a season-defining month, with three Premier League games against Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.
And they must be targeting at least six points from those game, if they are to have any realistic chance of survival.
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