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Goalscoring Conor Gallagher and Richarlison will take the headlines – and rightly so – but Sunday felt like a game Tottenham won in midfield.

For a pairing that’s drawn its fair share of groans around North London, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha were central to everything Spurs did well on Sunday.

They constantly dropped into the backline and rotated with full-backs, allowing Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro to flourish in roles suited to them. This shaped how Tottenham moved the ball, how they handled pressure, and ultimately how they took control of the game.

Bentancur-Palhinha partnership was hated under Thomas Frank at Tottenham

It’s no surprise that the Rodrigo Bentancur – Joao Palhinha partnership had started to wear thin with Spurs supporters.

“Bentinha” had almost become shorthand for both the results and football that N17 saw under Thomas Frank: slow circulation, safe passes and stale football.

Under the Dane, where the duo played alongside each other the most, Bentancur and Palhinha were rigid in movement, rarely straying any further than 10 yards from each other, always clogging up an already congested central midfield.

At Villa Park, though, their roles felt clearer and better aligned with their profiles. Palhinha, in particular, consistently dropped into defence during the build-up, effectively forming part of a back three.

That did two things.

First, it gave Tottenham a better platform against Villa’s press. Unai Emery’s side is synonymous with an organised, central setup, so having the pivot split and stretch wide caused confusion and visible “whose-man-is-that?” questions.

Second, it freed up others – most notably Porro – to operate in more advanced roles. Porro’s movement into the right half-space added a layer of technical quality and forward intent that the squad is missing through injuries.

Without James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, and most recently Xavi Simons, Spurs fans have been wondering where any creativity will come from.

The Spaniard attempted and completed the most progressive passes for Spurs.

He was allowed to float centrally while his fullback partner, Udogie, could fly high and wide, offering angles and creating space for the team on the left-hand side.

This dynamic, asymmetric shape was only possible with Palhinha’s ability to read when and where to position himself.

Rodrigo Bentancur was just as valuable in unlocking teammates

When Tottenham needed to slow things down or escape tight moments, he was the one showing in space, taking on the half-turn and keeping moves alive.

There was a simplicity to it, but also a sense of purpose: recycling possessions when needed, but choosing the right moments to move them forward.

The Uruguayan, despite his athletic decline, looked back to his Conte-era best, anchoring a midfield that looked very balanced.

Roberto De Zerbi got this game tactically correct, and the midfield is the best example of this.

The same midfield, which was once a metonym for mediocrity, dominated the Villains, as they were used in a way that masked their limitations and leant into their strengths.

The duo’s dominance across the pitch was the biggest driving factor behind a statement victory.

One that Spurs fans will be praying their club builds upon.

Tottenham Hotspur have decided on the future of Radu Dragusin, who is attracting a lot of transfer interest ahead of the summer window.

The 24-year-old has found starts hard to come by since returning from his ACL injury earlier this season.

Reports indicate that Dragusin has told his agent, Florian Manea, to find him a new club this summer, having been frustrated with his lack of game time at N17.

In fact, it has been suggested that the Spurs defender’s agent has already spoken to some clubs over a summer transfer as the window approaches.

Tottenham will listen to offers for Radu Dragusin as three clubs express interest

Sports Boom have now said that Spurs plan on selling several of their high-cost players with a high market value as part of their summer squad rebuild.

One of those on the shop window is Dragusin, with Tottenham wanting to recoup the fee they paid to Genoa for the centre-back.

The Lilywhites are preparing to open negotiations for the Romanian at a fee between €20m and €25m (£17.2m-£21.5m), with three clubs eyeing a move.

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RB Leipzig, Juventus and AS Roma have all expressed interest in securing the Tottenham star’s services as they look for defensive reinforcements.

Leipzig are leading the race to land Dragusin

Sports Boom say that Leipzig have ‘taken the most concrete steps’ towards signing the Spurs defender, and are set to ‘continue negotiations’ with the player on personal terms.

The Bundesliga club’s top brass believe that Draugsin fits their project perfectly, and they are willing to put an offer of around €20 m (£17.2m) on the table.

However, it is revealed that the Tottenham man ‘feels most comfortable’ in Serie A, with Roma contemplating a loan offer, while the Bianconeri are thinking about re-signing the player to add defensive depth to their squad.

Kevin Danso has made a telling admission about working with Roberto De Zerbi after Tottenham picked up a crucial win at Villa Park to move out of the bottom three.

While Spurs still have work to do to avoid relegation, they took a huge step towards safety at Villa Park on Sunday, making it back-to-back wins in the Premier League after going nearly four months without a win.

The away side delivered a dominant display, with Villa struggling to get on the ball and even lay a glove on Spurs for large parts of the game.

The performance was a world away from the ones Tottenham fans have seen all season, and one senior Spurs defender has made a telling admission.

Kevin Danso admits every Tottenham player knows exactly what Roberto De Zerbi wants

The ease of Tottenham’s win on Sunday left many people surprised, with the 2-1 scoreline flattering Unai Emery’s side.

There was no sense of panic among the Spurs players, and Danso has now admitted that it was down to each player knowing exactly what is expected of them in De Zerbi’s system.

When asked about the calmness Tottenham showed defensively, the Austrian international told the club’s official website: “Definitely. He’s (De Zerbi) given us loads of solutions, and I feel like everybody knows exactly what the manager wants, how we want to play.

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“Like you said, I feel we look calm, and we also feel calm, especially when we have the ball. I feel like we’re really good defenders, and when it comes to that, I think we continue to do well and show our qualities.”

Danso wants Spurs players to show the same fight in the three remaining games

According to Opta’s Supercomputer, Tottenham are now big favourites to stay up following the results of last weekend.

However, Danso made it clear that he and his teammates are not resting on their laurels and are determined to show the same fight in their final three matches of the season.

The 27-year-old added: “I’m very proud of the performance. It was an important game. We knew the situation going into the game and I think the lads were just extremely focused, knew what was at stake and performed really well.

“We’ve been working all week with each other, speaking to each other. Like I said, we know what’s at stake. We know what is needed. That fight we showed today is needed for the next three games as well.”

In another fixture across London, a significantly rotated Nottingham Forest systematically dismantled a struggling Chelsea team and beat them 1-3. What are the consequences of that result for Tottenham who visit Stamford Bridge on the 19th of May?

The dust settles after the newest results from the last round of Premier League fixtures, and for Tottenham Hotspur, things went about as well as they could have. Their 2-1 win away to Aston Villa has them out of the relegation zone, thanks to West Ham dropping all three points to Brentford.

This means it’s all in Spurs’ hands now, and with West Ham having the significantly more difficult fixtures, Tottenham have become the favourites to stay up.

They could reasonably guarantee safety with at least another win, and they would be mathematically safe from relegation if Spurs win two out of their remaining three fixtures.

But, with Leeds fourth in the form table and Everton putting three goals past title-contending Manchester City on Monday, Spurs might actually look to Chelsea, bottom of the form table and with 6 losses on the bounce, as their best opportunity for survival.

Chelsea’s bad loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday has significant implications for the situation at the bottom of the table as well as for Spurs, who visit the West London club in two weeks.

So, here’s what it meant for Tottenham

The good news for Tottenham

There’s no other way to put it than Chelsea are currently the most in-crisis club in the Premier League. Their last six league fixtures have all been losses, and Forest’s result only plunged them deeper into chaos.

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Chelsea’s failure to beat a heavily rotated Forest side mathematically voids their chances of reaching 5th place and the Champions League football that comes with it.

Although Aston Villa, currently in 5th place, could potentially extend Champions League spots down to 6th if they were to win the Europa League, Villa would have to first overturn a one-goal semi-final deficit to Nottingham Forest.

And with Forest rotating heavily just like Villa, something that Spurs were the beneficiaries of in their weekend fixture, the Tricky Trees are in pole position to get through to the final.

If Villa get knocked out on Thursday, Chelsea’s season is effectively over. The Blues still have to visit Anfield, and a bad loss there could plunge them even deeper into crisis.

If they can take advantage, Chelsea’s woes make them ripe for the picking for Tottenham.

The bad news for Spurs

Conversely, Nottingham Forest’s win all but guarantees their Premier League safety. Spurs’ win against Villa closed the gap to Forest to two points, but their win means that the gap is again extended to five points with three games to go.

Already for a few weeks, it looked like the relegation battle was a straight shootout between Tottenham and West Ham anyway.

While Forest still have some very difficult fixtures ahead of them, mainly a trip to Old Trafford and visits from Bournemouth and Newcastle, but with the gap to the drop zone at 6 points, the East Midlands club can probably rest easy with their league status secure.

The ugly for Tottenham

Now here’s the sad and uncomfortable truth that, to an extent, invalidates everything we’ve said about Chelsea thus far.

Historically, regardless of how awful Chelsea had been in the league, their derby against Spurs seems to ignite the motivation that the West London club needs to beat their northern rivals.

One need only recall the painful memories of the Battle of the Bridge when Chelsea ended the title dreams of Tottenham Hotspur by holding them to a two-all draw, despite the fact that, with their league position secure, they also theoretically had nothing to play for.

Spurs only won 23 fixtures at Stamford Bridge from their 88 London derbies played there.

Over the years, Spurs, of course, had to contend with truly world-class sides assembled for the almost limitless funds of Roman Abramovich. But their record hasn’t been much better since Chelsea’s new owners, Blue Co., took over either, with Spurs last beating Chelsea in a 2017 league meeting.

Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher have weighed in on the battle for top-flight survival as Tottenham Hotspur look to capitalise on a significant shift in momentum following a vital victory at Villa Park.

Tottenham Hotspur took charge of their own destiny with a victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday evening, beating Unai Emery’s side 2-1.

It was a complete display from Roberto De Zerbi’s side, who definitely showed signs of improvement in that encounter, building on their 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Those consecutive wins have now seen Spurs leapfrog West Ham United into 17th place with three games left to play.

Tottenham relegation verdict given by Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher

At some point, it was a four-horse battle for the sides that could be in the Championship. However, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have more or less guaranteed their own safety with victories this weekend, although mathematically they could still be relegated.

Regardless, it is fair to say that the final relegation spot is being contested by Spurs and West Ham, with Tottenham now holding a one-point advantage and a better goal difference than their London rivals.

With the season nearing its end, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher have now given their verdict on the side most likely to go down to the Championship between Spurs and the Hammers.

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Speaking on Sky Sports, Henry assessed both sides’ chances and highlighted the influence of Roberto De Zerbi. He said: “Can I say that Tottenham might stay… I do not know if I can say that.

“For West Ham, for me it would be playing against Arsenal. Are you going to do something or not. And then the way Tottenham are at home, you never know. But one thing is very important is the De Zerbi factor.

“You have to, it looks like they believe in him, they know exactly what they need to do. So the way they played at Villa looked like, for me, they might get a little, they might get the edge.”

Spurs given edge as relegation battle tightens

Jamie Carragher also weighed in on the situation, outlining what West Ham must do while pointing to Tottenham’s advantage following their win at Villa Park.

He added: “Spurs have done something out of the ordinary, as in winning away at Aston Villa. It was always going to be a tough game. We know they changed players, I get that, but West Ham are going to have to do the same.

“But when I look at it, West Ham, and I know it is very difficult and easy to say, they have just got to try and match that result.

“Now are they going to beat Arsenal, I find that very difficult to believe. So they have almost got to hope that Leeds could go there and get a point. Could they get a point at home to Arsenal? Yes. If they match Tottenham’s result, I then go to here.

“Both tough games, but you can imagine the motivation, I know Chelsea were awful today, but you can imagine the motivation inside that club and their supporters wanting to send Tottenham down.

“You can imagine that. Then you look at those two fixtures and you think, could we get a better result than Chelsea. That would be a tough game away at Chelsea. That is the only thing I can think in terms of West Ham.

“But this situation here gives Tottenham a great opportunity to sort of almost put it to bed. That is why West Ham have got to hope that they can get it to the last day.”

Tottenham fans have spent most of this season telling themselves that Conor Gallagher, Richarlison, and Rodrigo Bentancur were the problem. Sunday night at Villa Park, they were the answer.

Tottenham needed three points from one of the most difficult away trips remaining on the fixture list. A fifth-place Aston Villa side, still chasing Champions League football, with a home crowd behind them and a run of form that made them heavy favourites.

Spurs, sitting 18th and staring down the very real prospect of their first relegation since 1977, had to go there and win. And the players who delivered it were precisely the ones many of us had been loudest about moving on.

Gallagher opened the scoring after 12 minutes with a composed finish on the edge of the box, controlling a clearance and driving the ball into the bottom corner in what turned out to be his first goal for the club.

Richarlison headed in the second before the half-hour mark, finishing a brilliant Mathys Tel cross to double the advantage in the 25th minute. Emiliano Buendia pulled one back deep in stoppage time, but it was little more than a consolation. Spurs held on for a 2-1 win that lifts them above West Ham and out of the relegation zone for the first time in almost a month.

Then there was Bentancur, equally brilliant in the middle of the park, winning four of his six ground duels and making two tackles and two interceptions before being replaced in the second half. Roberto De Zerbi confirmed afterwards it was purely fatigue that forced the change.

The case against Tottenham trio was loud and did not come from nowhere

Of the three, Gallagher had probably attracted the harshest criticism. Signed from Atletico Madrid for £35m in January, he arrived with the fanbase already divided. The Chelsea connection never helped, and his early performances did little to win sceptics over. In a home defeat to Fulham in March, he managed a passing accuracy of just 74 per cent, lost possession with 12 of his 37 touches, and won just one of four ground duels.

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The social media response was immediate and merciless, with supporters declaring him the worst signing in the club’s history. A former Spurs scout was quoted suggesting Tottenham could cash in on him at the end of the season, barely four months after his arrival.

The criticism of Richarlison has been longer and more layered. He has been at the club since 2022, signed for £60m from Everton, and the gap between expectation and reality has never quite closed.

There have been brilliant moments, most recently a last-minute equaliser against Liverpool in March that kept Spurs’ survival hopes alive, but they have always been punctuated by stretches of inconsistency and injury absences. Ahead of this week, there were serious conversations in the fanbase about whether he had any meaningful role to play beyond this season regardless of which division they ended up in.

Bentancur’s situation is slightly different. His own season was derailed early by injury, and his absence during Tottenham’s bleakest run contributed to the structural collapse in midfield that left De Zerbi with so little to work with when he arrived in April.

But even allowing for that context, the noise around all three players has been consistent and pointed in the same direction: time to move on.

What Sunday at Villa Park actually showed us about Gallagher, Richarlison, and Bentancur

De Zerbi summed up Gallagher perfectly after the final whistle. “When he plays well, we have 12 players because he is amazing.” That reads less like a manager managing his squad’s confidence and more like a coach who has genuinely identified something in a player others had given up on.

The question worth sitting with is whether De Zerbi saw something that Igor Tudor, Thomas Frank, and the rotating cast of coaches before them did not, or whether Gallagher simply needed the right system and the right moment to show what he can do.

Richarlison’s header was, in isolation, straightforward. Tel did the hard work with a precise cross from the right, and the finish itself was simple. But his role in the first half was much more than the goal.

He pressed relentlessly, caused Ian Maatsen problems repeatedly on Villa’s left side, and held the line together in a way that his critics would not have anticipated after a difficult few months. He now has 10 goals and five assists for the season, which is not the return of a passenger.

And Bentancur, when he is fit and functioning, remains one of the best midfielders at this level at winning the ball back in tight areas. His reemergence after injury could prove to be the difference between Spurs staying in the top flight and going down, and Sunday was another reminder of how different this team looks with him in it.

What does it say about how quickly Spurs fans turn on our own?

There is an honest question here, and it is one worth asking without being precious about it. Tottenham supporters have been through an extraordinarily difficult season. The relegation fight is real, with Opta giving West Ham a 75 per cent chance of going down after their 3-0 defeat to Brentford left the door open for Spurs to take 17th. Three games remain. One wrong result and the conversation changes again. The pressure has been immense, and it was inevitable that some of it would land on individuals.

But the volume and certainty of the criticism directed at these three players over the last few months has not always reflected how complicated the situation is. Gallagher came into a club in the middle of a managerial crisis, with a squad depleted by injuries to Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham had gone 14 league games without a win before their victory over Wolves last week. Richarlison had, by any honest measure, kept Spurs’ head above water on several occasions this season, including that Liverpool equaliser. Bentancur had barely played due to injury. Holding players to peak-form standards in a collapsing system is not analysis; it is frustration finding a target.

Can Gallagher, Richarlison, and Bentancur do it again across three games in nine days?

Three games remain: Leeds at home on Monday, Chelsea away, then the final-day fixture. Leeds arrive next week in decent form themselves, having climbed to 14th and seven points clear of the drop. It will not be comfortable. Chelsea away is, on paper, the match of the run-in, and few would back Spurs to take anything there. Which means that Monday’s result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium carries the weight of the entire survival bid.

Whether Gallagher, Richarlison, and Bentancur can reproduce Sunday’s levels across three games in nine days is a genuine question. The physical toll is real. Bentancur was already taken off at Villa Park, and Richarlison came off for Pape Matar Sarr with time to run.

But the performance at Villa Park showed something that had been absent for long stretches of this campaign: a group of players with something to prove, playing for a manager who appears to genuinely believe in them.

Of course, one win does not settle anything. It remains to be seen whether this is the turning point or simply a bright moment in an otherwise grim season. But if Spurs do stay up, the narrative will matter. The players we were most ready to discard may well be the ones who saved the club’s top-flight status, and that is a story worth reflecting on honestly when the dust settles.

Tottenham Hotspur have moved out of the relegation zone after a crucial win against Aston Villa, boosting their chances of Premier League survival under Roberto De Zerbi.

The team undoubtedly showed more stability and energy in their performance, and there are clear signs of improvement in recent weeks. However, while the result gives them an important lift, Spurs will need consistency to finish the season strongly.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side started the weekend in the Premier League relegation zone, but a key set of results now means they are out of the bottom three. A win away at struggling Aston Villa, combined with West Ham United’s loss at Brentford on Saturday, has given De Zerbi, his players and the fans fresh belief that they can stay in the top flight.

First-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison secured the win, with boos heard from the home fans at Villa Park, just four days before their team return for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Even a late goal from Emi Buendia did little to change the mood inside the stadium.

Tottenham’s clear improvement under De Zerbi

The last time Tottenham won back-to-back Premier League games was at the start of the season, under two managers ago, when Thomas Frank beat Burnley 3-0 and then Manchester City 2-0. And a lot has changed since then, and this current run now feels important for the club’s season.

When De Zerbi arrived just over a month ago, Spurs had not won in the league since December. Confidence in the squad had dropped badly, and rebuilding the squad has been his main focus more than anything else, and he is confident that he would win all their five matches and he is currently on it.

After losing his first game at Sunderland, Spurs showed clear improvement in his second match, where only a late equaliser stopped them beating Brighton. Since then, they have beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 before following it up with this strong and controlled win at Villa Park.

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The Lilywhite showed fight, structure and discipline, making this one of their best performances of the season and a clear sign of De Zerbi’s impact in a short time. Spurs are now 17th, a point above West Ham, with three games left to play (Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton).

Tottenham control the game as Villa struggle for rhythm

Villa were frustrated from the start as the home fans grew restless in the first half, with the team looking slow, flat and short of ideas. Unai Emery made seven changes from their Europa League semi-final first leg, clearly showing where his focus lies, but the team never settled into any flow.

They struggled to create chances, rarely threatened in attack and spent long periods passing the ball at the back without purpose. In the first half, Villa had no shots on target and barely got into the Spurs penalty area. In fact, in the first 36 minutes, 45 per cent of their passes came from centre-backs. They did not look like a team fighting for Champions League football.

Villa have now taken just 19 points from 16 league games in 2026, showing a long drop in form, and Emery’s changes did not help matters as they now face a huge game against Forest in the second leg of their semi-final.

Tottenham forwards respond under pressure

Spurs also had their own issues going into the game, with Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke both injured. That left De Zerbi with only three forwards available: Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani.

All three worked extremely hard, pressing Villa constantly and making it difficult for them to build from the back, while also creating danger in attack. Gallagher opened the scoring, and the second goal came from Tel’s cross, which Richarlison finished.

Spurs could have scored more. Tel and Kolo Muani were not perfect and they did not make the right decision, but their performance was still a clear improvement. Kolo Muani in particular stood out, showing effort, strength and determination, and looking much closer to the player Spurs expected when he signed.

What next for Spurs?

At this stage, it looks more like progress than a false dawn under De Zerbi. But there are still doubts and Spurs will need to show consistency, but the recent improvements in energy and results suggest a team moving in the right direction at a crucial point in the season. Tottenham returns to Premier League action at home against Leeds on Monday, May 11.

Tottenham Hotspur’s performance against Aston Villa drew strong praise from Glenn Hoddle, who was impressed by one metric in particular.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi will certainly be pleased with the performance of his players in the game against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spurs were very aggressive in their approach, pressing from the very start and making build-up difficult for Villa, who struggled for most of the match.

Tottenham ultimately secured a 2-1 victory over Unai Emery’s side, a win that has seen them leave the bottom three with three games left to play this season.

Tottenham performance vs Aston Villa earns praise from Glenn Hoddle

Speaking on TNT Sports (03/05/26 from 9 pm), former Tottenham player Glenn Hoddle gave his assessment of Spurs’ performance against Villa.

The former Spurs boss was pleased with Tottenham’s performance, praising their intensity and approach while highlighting how effectively they closed Aston Villa down.

He said: “Tottenham were brilliant today. I’ve never seen a team close a side down like Villa did. They will not care about the goal they conceded at the end. Spurs have the three points tucked in the bag, and now they have to do exactly the same against Leeds.”

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Spurs must maintain level in survival run

With the season reaching its end, Spurs are now where they need to be, no longer in the relegation places.

However, the work is far from over, as they are just one point clear of 18th, meaning any slip-up and a West Ham United win will see Spurs drop back into the bottom three.

Nonetheless, it is now Tottenham’s position to lose, with their destiny in their own hands, meaning if they win all their remaining games, they will remain a Premier League side next season.

We compare Tottenham’s home form with their away form in the Premier League this season, and Spurs fans are sure to be shocked by one stat.

After going almost four months without a league win, Tottenham have won back-to-back fixtures in the Midlands, turning over both Wolves and Aston Villa to move out of the relegation zone.

While Spurs are not out of relegation trouble just yet, Opta’s Supercomputer now considers Roberto De Zerbi’s men massive favourites to stay up.

If the Lilywhites do manage to stay in the top-flight, they will have their away form to thank.

Tottenham have the third-best away record in the Premier League this season

Following the win over Villa, Tottenham Hotspur now have 26 points from their 18 away league matches this season.

According to Opta, that is the third most points any side has picked up away from home this season, with only Arsenal (32) and Manchester City (31) having picked up more on the road than Spurs.

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However, Tottenham’s home form makes for extremely sorry reading. The North Londoners have picked up just 11 points at home across their 17 matches.

They have won just two Premier League games at home, having lost 11 and drawn five. In fact, the Lilywhites have the joint-worst record at home this season alongside relegated Burnley.

Can Spurs deliver a crucial home win against Leeds?

Three of De Zerbi’s first four games in charge of Tottenham have been away fixtures, and there has undoubtedly been a marked improvement in performances since the Italian walked through the door.

While Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton in the 46-year-old’s only home game so far, they did more than enough to win that game.

Tottenham fans will love what Joao Palhinha has said on social media after helping the Lilywhites pick up a crucial win against Aston Villa.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men were handed a huge opportunity at Villa Park to move out of the drop zone after seeing West Ham fall to a 3-0 loss against Brentford on Saturday.

The Lilywhites came against an understrength Villa side, with Unai Emery rotating his squad ahead of the second leg of the Europa League semi-final.

The away side were extremely dominant, controlling possession and pressing their opponents incessantly, with Tottenham’s midfield three delivering standout performances.

Joao Palhinha is ‘proud’ of Tottenham’s performance against Aston Villa

Palhinha was handed his first start under De Zerbi after coming off the bench to score the all-important match-winner against Wolves.

The 30-year-old delivered a typically solid and energetic display, as he, Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher ran Villa ragged in the middle of the park.

The Portuguese international has taken to social media to praise his teammates and thank the Spurs fans for their support.

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Palhinha wrote on Instagram: “What this f***ing mean 🤜🏻 ! This is Tottenham, well done boys ! Big proud COYS! Thank you for the huge support!”

A bromance is brewing between Roberto De Zerbi and Palhinha

After the final whistle at Villa Park, Palhinha was seen celebrating passionately with De Zerbi, as the Lilywhites took a big step towards securing their Premier League status.

In his post-match press conference, the Tottenham boss admitted that he loves Palhinha for the passion with which he plays the game.