The Spaniard, without a Premier League goal this season until that point, had fine-tuned his radar in the opening period, and when his opportunity arrived at the death, he was ruthless. With the game heading towards stalemate, Traore unleashed a fierce drive into the roof of the Fulham net to see the winning feeling return to Nuno Espirito Santo’s group on the Thames.
On his late winner
“I’m so happy, not only me, we worked through the 90 minutes and won, which is important. If you keep working, the opportunity will come, I trust in my quality, I know the moment will come, I had one chance with my left in the first-half and knew I’d have another chance in the second-half.
“I’m trying to improve my final end every day, and keep going, and if I can grow like a player, it will help the team.
“I've been working on not only my final end, different aspects of the game with Nuno, and this is what I like to do. Grow like a player, keep working, keep improving myself, so these ways help the team also.”
On getting back to winning ways
“It feels so nice. I think we've been working so hard. I know it's been tough for us, but the mentality for us is working through the game. It doesn’t matter how the game goes, keep fighting, keep pushing and in the end the win will come, and this is our mentality, and this is how we keep going.”
We never give up. It's in our blood. 🤲🏾☝🏾🐺 pic.twitter.com/9RdjiwdJhu
— Adama Traoré Diarra (@AdamaTrd37) April 9, 2021
On an improving after West Ham
“The last game against West Ham we worked through the game, we knew we didn’t start the first-half good, but we finished 3-2 and were doing well. The mentality was keep going and, whatever the situation is in the game, fight until the end.
“I think that was the mentality [to keep a clean sheet] after we conceded three against West Ham. It was very important for us, keep the defensive mentality and push through the game, and that was the key today, so we are happy, and we move on.”
On the VAR incident
“No one is perfect. I think everyone makes errors like the players sometimes, so I think well today, it didn’t work out for all the VAR but tomorrow it'll work out for us. I think they will watch the action again and they will improve, like everyone else, so I don’t have anything to say. Just happy because we won, we took the three points and keep moving.”
On Sheffield United next up
“We prepare, see this game through. I hope we can manage it and after we'll keep improving so this our mentality.”
