Roberto De Zerbi must build his Tottenham Hotspur side around Conor Gallagher after the 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Gallagher was signed in January in a £34million deal but has yet to really show how good he can be in a Spurs shirt.
However, that changed against the Villans as he helped the Lilywhites to a vital three points at Villa Park on 3 May.
He opened the scoring with a fantastic drive from range and was a general thorn in the Villans’ side all evening.
Gallagher proved that he has the mettle to star for Spurs and help them avoid relegation.
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What was said about Conor Gallagher in Tottenham win vs Villa?
Gallagher has had a miserable time at Tottenham so far, but the perception may change after the scenes against Villa.
TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward was stunned by one specific aspect of the former Atletico Madrid man’s play, his pressing abilities after a lunge on Youri Tielemans where he nearly snatched the ball.
Speaking on the platform on 3 May (19:30 pm), she said: “I tell you what, Gallagher, absolutely elite out of possession, he knows where to go, he knows where to track.
“Because he has his mates either side of him, he knows that if the ball goes past, probably a little too much there, from where the referee is stood but it’s great pressing.”
How Gallagher can be central to De Zerbi’s plans
Gallagher has been far from elite for Spurs recently, but the victory provides him with a springboard to push on and reach that level.
According to data from Fotmob, he completed 85 per cent of his passes, and scored with his only shot in the game.
The ex-Chelsea man made one pass into the final third and had one touch in the opposition box, as he tried to assert his influence on proceedings.
Defensively, he made six recoveries, three tackles, one block and one interception, and was dribbled past just once.
He also won four of the seven ground duels that he attempted, for a 57 per cent success rate.
Ward is right, his pressing game is elite, and if he can keep up the showing from the Villa game, then De Zerbi will have no choice to make him a key part of his plans moving forward.
It will be a huge relief for the Lilywhites if he can do that, and finally show that it was the right decision to spend so much money on him.
He may finally have given his manager the blueprint on how to get the best of him, now the Italian must use it.
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