Chadli did not celebrate goal out of respect for former club
NACER Chadli hailed Ben Foster after his man-of-the-match display in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Much of the pre-match talk surrounded Belgium international forward Chadli having swapped White Hart Lane for The Hawthorns in the summer.
And it was he who opened the scoring in the 82nd minute with his fourth goal in five games for the Baggies before Deli Alli struck to level matters for Spurs in the final stages.
Yet the majority of the post-match conversation centred around goalkeeper Foster, who made a string of superb first-half saves to deny Alli, twice, Christian Eriksen as well as Ben Davies and ensure the game was goalless at the break.
Chadli said: “For me, Ben was the best man on the pitch.
“For sure, he made unbelievable saves and he was unlucky at the end conceding the late goal.”
FOSTER IN FINE FORM: Albion stopper gets down low to tip around Eriksen's goalbound strike
Reflecting on the dramatic draw, Chadli added: “It’s frustrating for us I think but when you see the game, you see Tottenham have more chances than us, you have to be fair.
“But when you score that late in the game, you always hope for the three points.
“It was unlucky for us.”
Chadli arrived in England from Holland in 2013 and spent three years at Tottenham before moving to the midlands in late August.
The 27-year-old found the net 25 times in over 100 appearances for the north London outfit and opted not to celebrate when he scored against his former club in yesterday’s draw.
CHADLI GOAL: Baggies forward opens the scoring with neat finish from close range against Spurs
“There was no celebration out of respect,” he said.
“It was my first club when I came to England and I respect the club, the people there and especially the fans.
“I’m happy to score, I’m always happy to score.”