Several Tottenham players put in impressive displays in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Tottenham Hotspur secured a vital three points as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday.
The visitors took the lead through Conor Gallagher before Richarlison doubled the lead in the first half itself, with Emi Buendia notching a late consolation for the hosts. The victory in the Midlands lifted Spurs out of the relegation zone by a single point, with West Ham dropping to 18th in the table.
The Lilywhites probably should have scored more on the day, but with several key players missing through injury, Roberto De Zerbi was very happy with the performance and three points. Conor Gallagher starred for Tottenham, putting in his best performance since arriving from Atletico Madrid. Not only did the England international cover every inch of the Villa Park grass, but he also scored his first goal for the North London club.
Graham Roberts singles out Rodrigo Bentancur for praise after Aston Villa win
While Gallagher was pivotal to Tottenham’s win in the Midlands, it was tough to oversee the impact of Rodrigo Bentancur.
Since his return from a hamstring injury, Rodrigo Bentancur has been one of the team’s best performers under De Zerbi. That was on show against Wolves and continued across the West Midlands, as the Uruguayan international put in a solid display. Unsurprisingly, he came off in the second half because of fatigue, after an all-action showing vs. Villa.
Now, Spurs legend Graham Roberts has talked up the impact that Bentancur has had since he returned to the side from injury. He believes that the 27-year-old has made a massive difference to Tottenham, helping contribute to the turnaround under De Zerbi. The 66-year-old was impressed with the midfield trio of Bentancur, Gallagher and Joao Palhinha in the win over Villa.
“Bentancur has made such a difference to the team he has suffered terrible injuries, but so important for us,” Graham Roberts wrote in his X account.
“That midfield 3 are proper men, and that’s what we need now in this period.”
De Zerbi eliminates Bentancur injury scare
While the win came as a huge boost to the North London club in the race to avoid relegation, they also suffered a couple of injury scares. Bentancur was one of those who had sat on the ground for a while before being taken off.
However, De Zerbi extinguished any injury scares, claiming Bentancur’s substitution was down to tiredness. That should have come as a relief to the fans, who have been witnessing a different version of the South American since returning to action after three months on the sidelines. The central midfielder has demonstrated that he is well-suited to De Zerbi’s possession-based system, thanks to his ball control, manipulation and distribution.
Given the form he has shown in recent games, it won’t be a stretch to suggest that Bentancur could be the difference between De Zerbi’s side staying in the top-flight and going down.