‘We play with 12 players’ – De Zerbi hails 8/10 Tottenham star’s impact after impressive Aston Villa win

By
Jainil Shah
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Tottenham earned a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

Tottenham finally looked a breath of fresh air as Lilywhites revival under Roberto De Zerbi has now gathered a sense of real momentum with that performance at Villa Park yesterday.

The win against Aston Villa (FT 2-1) meant Tottenham would finally finish the gameweek out of the relegation zone and into 17th. And that will be a big sigh of relief for the players, the gaffer as well as the chiefs sitting in the stands.

Let’s be honest, it looked like there was only one team playing for those first 60 minutes. It looked like Tottenham are a side reborn.

The goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison gave Tottenham that control over the game before Emi Buendia came in late to the party to deny Antoin Kinsky that clean sheet. But it was not about keeping a nil score; it was about the bigger picture, getting that win because those three points mean Tottenham now sit a point above West Ham in the table.

Conor Gallagher praised for his performance vs. Villa

Former Brighton manager was quizzed about his match-winner from the game, and he was quick to heap praise on Conor Gallagher (who earned an 8/10 rating). The Cobham academy graduate opened the scoring with a superb driven effort from the edge of the box. And that goal set the tone for what was easily his most complete performance donning that Spurs badge. But it was beyond just his goal.

Speaking to TNT Sports via BBC, Tottenham head coach said:

“Gallagher, when he plays well, we play with 12 players. He is an amazing player. Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel played an amazing game. The two centre-backs with and without the ball, I am really pleased.”

Tottenham fans and pundits have been quite critical of Gallagher since he moved to Tottenham. But yesterday he had an impressive game. He was popping up in different positions and causing a sense of trouble to Aston Villa defence. He also showed a sense of game awareness and that burst of energy that the Lilywhites supporters expected of him when he was brought in from Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham have to keep this momentum going

But now RDZ has to ensure that his side keeps the momentum going with over a week to prepare for hosting Leeds at N17 in what now looks like another big game. And another win on the trot would surely push the Lilywhites within touching distance of ensuring that English top-tier safety, especially if results elsewhere fall in Spurs ‘ favor.

For now, though, this was about Villa Park. The talk was all about high stakes and how it is a difficult ground to visit, but that performance finally matched the urgency of the situation.