Roberto Soldado praises "fundamental" Michael Dawson

Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado has praised Michael Dawson for his defensive performance during Sunday's win over Cardiff City in the Premier League.

Soldado scored the only goal of the game at White Hart Lane as Spurs kept their Champions League hopes alive.

Despite his own heroics in front of goal, the Spaniard believes that Dawson played a big part in the team's victory at the other end of the pitch.

"Daws was fundamental in the back four," he told the club's official website. "We defended as a team magnificently and everything they threw at us we managed to bat off. The team played very, very well against a hard side."

Tottenham continue their Premier League campaign on Saturday when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.