Conor Gallagher essayed a crucial role in Tottenham Hotspur’s morale-boosting win at Aston Villa.
Tottenham Hotspur moved out of the Premier League relegation zone and boosted their chances of staving off relegation by beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday.
Spurs made the trip to Villa Park knowing that a win would take them out of the drop zone and above West Ham United, who were beaten 3-0 by Brentford on Saturday. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are now one point above their London neighbours going into the final three games, thanks to a fantastic victory.
It was the sort of performance that Tottenham fans have not seen their side produce for a long time, with visitors being completely dominant from the first blow of the whistle and hardly giving up any chances. Many players stepped up against Unai Emery’s side, amid the injury crisis, most notably Conor Gallagher.
Conor Gallagher opens up on Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa
Conor Gallagher produced his best performance in a Tottenham shirt, earning an 8/100 rating. He led from the front, popping up everywhere and pressing relentlessly. The central midfielder was tigerish in his tackles, passed the ball well and ate up a lot of ground.
The England international put Tottenham’s noses in front in the 12th minute after a dominant spell. Conor Gallagher controlled a clearance superbly on the edge of the box and arrowed a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner past a hapless Emi Martinez.
In an interview with TNT Sports, the 26-year-old claimed it was a perfect night for Tottenham in the Midlands. He also encouraged his teammates to carry on the good form heading into the final three games of the season.
“We’re really happy with the performance and the three points. It’s been a perfect night, but hopefully it’s just the start. We want to carry it on for the last few games of the season,” Gallagher said (h/t BBC Sport).
Gallagher key in Tottenham’s survival bid
There have been a lot of criticism over Gallagher’s performances, with several fans unsure about whether the central midfielder was the right signing for the club. He couldn’t make much of a mark under former interim boss Igor Tudor, but since De Zerbi’s arrival, the Epsom-born talent has looked a different player.
The 46-year-old clearly likes Gallagher and has put his arm around him to try to restore his confidence levels. His decision to hand the ex-Chelsea man a free role has worked very well, allowing him to lead the press from the No.10 role and stop the opposition from building play from the back. This same tactic worked wonders against Villa, who were harried and hassled by Gallagher and Co. every time they tried to bring the ball out from the back.
All in all, Gallagher was pivotal to Spurs’ big win at Villa, and he will want to carry on the good form and show the fans that he is the right signing for the club.