Desperate times call for desperate measures, and no team in European football is more desperate for results right now than Tottenham Hotspur. Squarelyin the Premier League relegation fight and coming off a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, Spurs made the decision to throw the farm at Roberto De Zerbi, replacing Igor Tudor with one of the bigger coaching names in the top five leagues.
De Zerbi is already paying dividends, and he has been leaning on the experienced players in the Spurs squad to get results. Tottenham have now made it three straight games without a loss after their previous streak read 15 straight matches without a win.
A big part of that turn around has been the immediate improvements experienced by center midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher. These two notable names have gone from massive disappointments and clear liabilities in the starting lineup to crucial cogs in the wheel who are controlling games, dominating defensively, winning the ball, progressing it, and helping Spurs drive forward and get key results.
Giving Pedro Porro some due
But though Gallagher and Bentancur are generating the most positive buzz among the Tottenham Hotspur fan base, even a player who has started virtually every game this season has enjoyd the benefits of Roberto De Zerbi in the dugout.
Right back Pedro Porro has been a workhorse this season, and while he has been one of Spurs most important players this season, that fact has felt, as with captain Cristian Romero, like a case of it being true by default.
Porro was honestly frustrating, too, with inaccurate crosses and brutal lapses of judgment and positioning defensively. But like Gallagher and Bentancur, Porro has been turning up the heat over the last couple of games and has been absolutely vital for Tottenham, shining at a very high level, particularly on the defensive side of things.
The Spanish international has registered a whopping seven combined tackles and interceptions in each of the last three positive results for Spurs in a row: the draw against Brighton and both wins over Wolves and Aston Villa. Pedro Porro has been a defensive stalwart, snapping into tackles and showing much better positioning and discipline to boot.
Offensively, he's been a solid creator still, too, registering four key passes in those three games, which is good for a right back. Porro has been flying under the radar, but he has been a huge bright spot for Tottenham lately in this upturn.