Tottenham put in a solid performance to beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park.
Goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison guided Tottenham Hotspur to a stunning 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
A heavily rotated Aston Villa side were harried and hassled by the Tottenham players, giving them no space to breathe. The poor passing from the back, decision-making and movement off the ball left the Villa Park faithful totally stunned and furious. The visitors didn’t stop running and pressing from the first whistle to the last, and got their reward.
Despite a slightly improved performance in the second half and a consolation in stoppage time, Spurs were able to see out the game with relative ease and get out of the drop zone. They moved above West Ham in the table after the Hammers were beaten convincingly by Brentford on Saturday.
Micah Richards surprised by Aston Villa vs. Tottenham result
Spurs were pure underdogs on paper heading into the game vs. Aston Villa. The Villans have dominated the fixture in recent years, and they were favourites to win at home on Sunday as well.
However, De Zerbi and Co. pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the Midlands. They probably should have scored more on the day, as chances flowed throughout the game, as the home side put in an underwhelming display. And that wasn’t ignored by pundit Micah Richards, who felt Villa were “poor”. He was full of praise for Tottenham, admiring the visitors’ “desire and intensity”.
“That’s a huge result for Spurs. I didn’t see that coming,” Micah Richards said on BBC MOTD (h/t BBC Sport).
“Villa were poor, but right from the start, Spurs absolutely made the most of it with their desire and intensity.”
Tottenham stunned Villa
This performance from Tottenham came out of nowhere. It was like a bolt from the blue for Emery’s side, who were actually taken aback by the intensity, speed, physicality and pressing of the visitors. De Zerbi sensed there was a great opportunity to take the game to the hosts, and Spurs’ bravery and desire were duly rewarded.
With that performance, the Lilywhites have now set a bar for the remaining fixtures. Tottenham fans will now expect the same intensity, hunger, and fight from the players for the games against Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton. De Zerbi’s influence on the squad is crystal clear, with the Italian showing great man-management skills. He has been clear in his approach, and it is good to see the players are responding to his tactical and physical demands.