Tottenham Hotspur were described as being in "dreamland" midway through the first half of Sunday night's all-important duel at Aston Villa.
Brentford's 3-0 win over West Ham United handed Spurs an opportunity to move out of the relegation zone, and Roberto De Zerbi's side grasped the chance with both hands. Many were out to lament Unai Emery's rotation and Villa's indifference, but it was the resurgent Lilywhites that exacerbated the hosts' woes.
Goals from the outstanding Conor Gallagher and Richarlison secured the points, with Emilliano Buendia's clever late header the only stain on a brilliant showing that'll universally encourage a fatalistic fanbase.
Key to our success in the West Midlands was a midfield pairing that was chastised and slandered under former manager Thomas Frank. However, with De Zerbi masterfully empowering his players and instilling belief, Rodrigo Bentancur, in particular, has rediscovered his slickest form.
Bentancur is performing like the No. 6 Tottenham needed all along
Bentancur suffered under Frank. The Uruguayan has dealt with an array of injuries since his 2022 pomp, and the iteration that manifested during the first half of 2025/26 paled in comparison to the elegant midfielder who once looked like one of the Premier League's tidiest.
After a period in midfield purgatory, Spurs have unlocked Bentancur utopia once more, and the engine room is rejuvenated as a result. The former Juventus star is the cool and composed head Tottenham required, with De Zerbi's reinstallation of confidence and self-belief aiding Bentancur's re-emergence as a critical figure.
He was limited to 65 minutes of magic on Sunday night before a fresh fitness concern brought his outing to a premature end. Given the slight dip in control that ensued, it was clear how important Bentancur was to our superb performance, and another injury blow, one that could end his season, would be ever so cruel.
However, those concerns were alleviated post-match by the manager, who said his No. 30 was simply "just tired". Bentancur and the equally shattered Randal Kolo Muani, whose U-turn from disinterest to 'Tottenham 'til he dies' has been pretty remarkable, made way for Djed Spence and Yves Bissouma.
With eight days to prepare for Leeds United's visit next Monday night, Bentancur should be absolutely fine. Those who feared what his reunion alongside Palhinha would produce at Villa Park will rejoice if that's the duo De Zerbi opts for against Daniel Farke's physical outfit. The Italian's got the boys playing again.
While everyone has been busy worrying over James Maddison's return to action, perhaps Tottenham's midfield saviour has already arrived. After Frank convinced the world he was no good, Rodrigo Bentancur has got his swagger back, folks.