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Rodrigo Bentancur’s growing influence under Roberto De Zerbi was evident once again, as Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield continues to take shape during a crucial phase of the season.

It has only been four games under Roberto De Zerbi for Tottenham Hotspur, and there is certainly a big difference in approach.

In fact, Spurs seem to be growing after each performance, and when that happens, there is always going to be optimism about their chances of survival.

Sunday evening was perhaps the best yet in terms of tactical application under De Zerbi, as Spurs, from minute one, stuck to the manager’s game plan – pressing from the front, playing with intensity and sustaining pressure throughout.

The Lilywhites’ efforts were duly rewarded as they secured a 2-1 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park, earning back-to-back victories for the first time since August and climbing out of the relegation zone with three games remaining.

Tottenham see Rodrigo Bentancur importance grow with Aston Villa display

Of course, every player has certainly bought into the manager’s ideas and is giving their all to produce displays worthy of the shirt. We could go on about every single player, but one who has stood out in recent weeks is Rodrigo Bentancur.

There is no denying that De Zerbi is getting the best out of the Uruguayan, who was receiving criticism earlier this season for not being progressive with the ball.

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However, since his return from injury, Bentancur has looked like a player reborn. His experience, composure and technical ability on the ball have elevated Spurs’ midfield, allowing them to maintain control of the middle of the park.

Not only does he look after the ball well, but he is also contributing with pressing and winning duels, and with such performances, it is no surprise that Spurs’ upturn in form has coincided with his return to the starting XI.

Against Aston Villa, it was more of the same, as he produced a superb midfield display and looked like the Bentancur of old under Antonio Conte before his ACL injury.

His stats from FotMob highlight his impact, as he was handed a 7.6 rating, recorded 98% pass accuracy and completed 2/3 dribbles. He also was not dribbled past throughout his time on the field, nor was he dispossessed.

Bentancur fitness key for Spurs run-in

It is clear that Bentancur is growing in confidence under De Zerbi, and the Italian coach will be hoping the Uruguayan can stay fit until the end of the season.

Against Aston Villa, Bentancur was substituted after 67 minutes following a knock, and that will be a concern for Tottenham.

The hope will be that it is nothing too serious and that the Uruguayan is fit enough to feature again this weekend against Leeds United.

Tottenham put in a crucial performance away at Villa Park and their 2-1 win drags them out of the relegation zone. With practically all players putting in a standout effort, here are our five biggest winners from today’s game.

Spirits were raised all throughout North London as Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 victory away to Aston Villa gave them their second victory in a row for the first time since August, and much more importantly, lifted the club out of the relegation zone.

The mood was less jubilant in the East End, as West Ham’s 3-0 loss to Brentford on Saturday opened the doors for Spurs to take the advantage in the relegation battle.

Tottenham’s impressive performance, albeit against a second-string Villa team, sees them pip their London rivals to 17th place in the table.

A brilliant finish from Connor Gallagher earned the ex-Chelsea man his first goal for Tottenham Hotspur and shortly after Mathys Tel tee’d up the perfect ball for Richarlison to head home.

Emiliano Buendía managed to squeeze in a stoppage time goal for Villa from their first real chance of the game but it was too little too late for the East Midlands club.

In a performance where we could find something positive to say about any one of the starting XI, it’ll be difficult to single out the definitive standout individuals but nonetheless, here are our five biggest winners from Tottenham’s victory at Villa Park.

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Connor Gallagher had his best Tottenham game

In one of his early press conferences, Roberto De Zerbi said that he’d like to see the Connor Gallagher that played for Chelsea.

Well, it looks like last night Gallagher put in a performance that reached his best levels because he was Spurs most important player on the pitch for all of the 90 minutes.

His most memorable contribution will of course be his outstanding finish taken outside of the box that put Spurs one goal up within the first 15 minutes and gave them a platform to build their eventual victory on.

But perhaps more than that Gallagher quite literally ran the Spurs midfield and was absolutely crucial for the Tottenham press while his physicality allowed Spurs to win the midfield battle and find comfortable possession against Villa. Gallagher seemed to have unlocked his bundles of athleticism and didn’t shy away from leading the press just to sprint back and make a crucial defensive contribution.

Although understandably, with the absence of Xavi Simons, some issues with creativity persisted, Gallagher’s stores of energy and sheer willingness to try and win the ball more than compensated for any technical limitations.

Since his regular involvement with the starting lineup Spurs press became the most effective one in the league, winning the ball high up the pitch an average of 5.3 times per match.

Gallagher showed the exact kind of performance and energy Spurs will need to stay up.

Richarlison scored the winner for Spurs

Richarlison made his own statement to Roberto De Zerbi and gave the Italian a big dilemma with future selections. Richarlison’s performance against Villa is a big argument why he should be the starting striker for Roberto De Zerbi even if Dominic Solanke returns to fitness.

In his usual fashion, Richarlison put himself about literally everywhere on the pitch and was a proper nuisance to the Villa defence. He was also crucial to the newfound energy in the Spurs press.

Richarlison’s off ball runs created space for Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani to attack and his presence in the box turned to be decisive. He headed home what turned out to be the winning goal from a perfectly teed up Mathys Tel cross.

Above all, the Brazilian forward seems to be relishing the challenge and will most likely be crucial in these last few games of the season.

Micky van de Ven‘s last-ditch tackle saved Spurs

In all fairness the entirety of the Spurs backline deserves a huge shoutout. All of the back four produced an incredibly competent defensive performance which completely shut out the Villa attack and limited their chances to 0.0 xG before the Buendía goal.

But in a sea of good performances Micky van de Ven was the standout defensive one. His clever tackling, big presence in the box and even more so his last ditch challenge on Tammy Abraham made sure that Spurs’ defence stood for as long as it did.

From the two centre-backs Kevin Danso also deserves a mention since it was his long throw that eventually resulted in that goal for Connor Gallagher but his cheap giveaway head to be bailed out so we’re going with Micky here.

Joao Palhinha was a monster for Tottenham

Palhinha was the other half in the much maligned “Bentinnha” double pivot. But the same issues with ball progression which plagued the team under Thomas Frank were basically gone from their midfield performance against Villa (a damning verdict on the Danish coach’s abilities).

Palhinha’s defensive contributions and willingness to get into duels and win them gave Villa a lot of trouble in accessing their attacking third. It looks like the build-up structure set up by Roberto De Zerbi is giving the players solutions for ball progression meaning they don’t have to rely on their own creativity as much.

This gives players like Palhinha the chance to show their best sliding and tackling selves while mitigating their weaknesses.

Mathys Tel is becoming Tottenham’s bright spark

Mathys Tel was his usual dauntless and industrial self and put in a great attacking first half performance.

Outstanding movement in the final third, willingness to take his man on as well as really good off-ball defensive contributions earn him his flowers this match.

Plus it was the French winger that produced the cross for the Richarlison goal so without a doubt one of the better performances of the season from Mathys Tel.

The Premier League survival race is set to go down to the wire, with Tottenham and West Ham’s remaining fixtures shaping up for a tense battle to avoid the drop.

There has been another twist in the race for survival following the results from the last matchweek.

Tottenham Hotspur made it back-to-back wins for the first time since August following their 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, a result that has seen them leapfrog the Hammers into 17th place.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men now find themselves in the relegation zone following a 3-0 loss to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, with three games to go.

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, have more or less guaranteed their own safety after beating Chelsea 3-1 on Monday afternoon and just need at least a point from their final games.

It is still all to play for, though, for Spurs and the Hammers, and we have now decided to see who each team has left to play in their final games of the season.

Tottenham and West Ham fixtures compared in survival run-in

Tottenham’s remaining Premier League fixtures

West Ham’s remaining Premier League fixtures

Conor Gallagher’s display at Villa Park did not go unnoticed, with the midfielder earning strong praise from Glenn Hoddle after playing a key role in Tottenham Hotspur’s important result.

Tottenham Hotspur made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season since August with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday night.

Goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison proved enough for Spurs, as they secured all three points to move out of the bottom three following West Ham United’s defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

That victory also means that Tottenham have maintained their impressive record at Villa Park, having now won in nine of their last eleven visits in the Premier League.

Tottenham see Conor Gallagher praised by Glenn Hoddle after Aston Villa win

While everyone impressed against Aston Villa, there is no denying that Gallagher was the standout performer. Despite his goal, Gallagher’s underlying numbers against Unai Emery’s side show just how influential and vital he was to Spurs securing all three points.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, former Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle discussed Gallagher’s importance, highlighting his work rate, pressing and ability to set the tone for the team.

He said, when asked if Gallagher is the type of player Spurs need in a scrap, “hundred per cent because he can use the ball he is not going to be a number ten but he can use the ball well, but his closing down his work rate set the tone for all the rest of the team.

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“I said before the game you look at each other in the dressing room and say I am going to be the difference today then if everyone is thinking that way they played like that.

“There was not one bad performance from Tottenham today. There were all 9/10 but Gallagher was the one that set the tone and he has ended up getting his first goal for Tottenham as well which is a great moment for him”

Spurs must avoid complacency in survival fight

Three points in the bag, a complete team performance and a move away from the relegation zone made it a perfect weekend for Tottenham.

However, Spurs will not want to become complacent, as there is still plenty of football to play and they are not yet safe.

As it stands, just one point separates Tottenham from West Ham United, meaning any slip-up and a West Ham win will see the Hammers leapfrog Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur’s performance at Villa Park has sparked a strong reaction among supporters, with Conor Gallagher in particular drawing widespread praise after delivering exactly what was demanded.

Ahead of the clash against Aston Villa on Sunday evening, Roberto De Zerbi was adamant that his side could get a result despite the negativity surrounding his team.

The narrative from the media was that Spurs had their work cut out, given the injury crisis they were dealing with, as they were set to be without at least ten players heading to Villa Park before Pape Matar Sarr’s return.

Regardless of the injury setback, De Zerbi remained positive, maintaining his stance that he still had good players, before outlining what he expected from his team.

He said: “Keeping the ball, showing our qualities, because if we have a chance to win the game, it is because we have great players for me, and fight, run, defend everyone together, with order, with the right organisation, without the ball for sure, because we have to defend, but we have to attack and to keep the ball, and to enjoy with the ball, to try the one-to-one on the wingers’ side, to play when we have the right time and the right space between the lines, that is my idea.”

Tottenham fans react to Conor Gallagher performance vs Aston Villa

On Sunday evening, we saw exactly that from Tottenham from the start of the game until the very end – they looked like a team attacking as a unit and defending as a unit.

Each player deserves credit for that performance, but Conor Gallagher was one who stood out at Villa Park. The winter signing was all over the pitch, led the press, won duels and kept Spurs ticking as they looked to maintain control of midfield.

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His impressive display has now seen Lilywhites fans take to social media to praise him. Taking to X, one fan said: “Been waiting for him to settle. Brilliant” Another added: “This is the real Conor Gallagher! COYS”

A third fan stated: “Chased everything down, loved it. His best game for us.” One more commented, highlighting expectations: “This is what we expected from him. Hope he continues this”

Another Tottenham fan added, pointing to the difference under previous managers: “Under Frank and Tudor he was a waste of space, but played in the right position an absolute beast. Incredible really how style of play can transform a player from zero to hero.”

A final fan said: “We have a manager who knows how to unlock his skill set! Easy 9 out of 10”

Gallagher must build on strong Spurs display

Spurs Web has since looked at the underlying numbers of Gallagher, and there is a belief that De Zerbi could get the best out of the midfielder.

Gallagher is a manager’s dream, given how hard he works for the team and how he allows his side to maintain pressure high up the pitch.

However, it is only his first truly impressive display in a Tottenham shirt, and the focus now will be on building on it as Spurs continue to fight to avoid relegation.

Conor Gallagher has revealed the mindset of the Tottenham squad after the win over Aston Villa and the impact Roberto De Zerbi has had since arriving at the club.

After a long time, Spurs are now out of the bottom three, having picked up a 2-1 win at Villa Park after West Ham went down 3-0 away at Brentford on Saturday.

The results have completely changed the mood internally at Tottenham and that of their supporters, with safety now within touching distance for the club.

With Spurs hosting Leeds next Monday and the Hammers hosting Arsenal, the Lilywhites could have a massive opportunity to all but secure their place in the top-flight with one more win.

Conor Gallagher says Tottenham are keen to build on start under Roberto De Zerbi

If Conor Gallagher’s words are anything to go by, the Tottenham players realise that they are not out of the woods just yet and are keen to build on the two consecutive wins in the Midlands.

While the midfielder, who opened the scoring for Spurs at Villa Park, admitted that it was ‘a perfect night’, he made it clear that he and his teammates now want to carry on this momentum and string more wins together.

Speaking after Tottenham’s 2-1 win at Villa Park, Gallagher told TNT Sports: “It’s been the perfect night, but hopefully it’s only the start. It was a great performance tonight and we want to carry that on for the rest of the season. This is massive for us and hopefully our confidence can start growing.”

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Gallagher admits De Zerbi has instilled confidence in the Spurs squad

Ahead of his side’s trip to Villa, De Zerbi railed against those who were writing off Tottenham’s chances of survival, reiterating that his side have the quality to win matches.

The Spurs players have now repaid the faith their head coach showed in them, and Gallagher confessed that every member of the squad has really taken to the 46-year-old.

When asked about De Zerbi’s influence, the 26-year-old said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. He’s so good. Every player in the squad has taken to him, it makes you trust him.

“It makes you feel good and confident. He’s bringing the best out of players and it’s hopefully only the start. Hopefully, we can keep learning from him and build a great team.”

Randal Kolo Muani gave Tottenham Hotspur supporters something to appreciate beyond his on-pitch display, with his actions after coming off catching the eye at Villa Park.

Randal Kolo Muani has certainly had his fair share of struggles since his loan move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

He has managed just one Premier League goal, and his performances in a Lilywhite shirt have left a lot to be desired for most of his time in north London.

However, in the game against Aston Villa, we saw a different showing from the Parisian, who was direct in his play, took on his man and offered a creative outlet from the left.

He did not manage a goal, but did have a big chance in the first half after arriving at the back post to meet Mathys Tel’s cross, only for Emiliano Martinez to make the save.

Spurs fans will appreciate Randal Kolo Muani gesture after Aston Villa substitution

Spurs’ lack of a natural number ten meant that Roberto De Zerbi had to find a solution to a potential lack of creativity, which saw Tottenham look to utilise their wide players more.

Muani was impressive, rose to the occasion and delivered one of his better displays since De Zerbi took charge. He pressed high and closed down Villa players with such intensity that he had to come off after the 66th minute.

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However, Muani made sure to connect with the Tottenham fans before making his way off the pitch, and many of the travelling support will have appreciated what he did.

Following his substitution, he walked the long way around past the Spurs fans, encouraged them to raise the noise, then celebrated and high-fived those in the front row.

For a player on loan, it showed how much he cares as Spurs continue their fight to avoid the drop with three games to play.

Randal Kolo Muani’s role is key for Spurs run-in

Tottenham are short in attack, with just three fit recognised attackers to lead the line for the rest of the season.

Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Dominic Solanke have all seen their seasons ended by injury, and Spurs will have to rely on Muani.

That makes it vital for the Frenchman to find rhythm and form as Spurs look to finish the season on a high, with their destiny now in their hands.

Supporters of League One champions Lincoln City directed a funny chant at Tottenham last week, and the travelling Spurs fans at Villa Park decided to respond yesterday.

Over the past few weeks, it has felt like almost every other team in the English footballing pyramid has been hankering for Tottenham Hotspur to go down.

In fact, some Spurs fans were even starting to wonder if the referees wanted them to get relegated, given the number of big calls that were going against the Lilywhites.

It was not just Premier League rivals who wanted to see Tottenham relegated for the first time in 50 years, with EFL clubs also understandably salivating at the prospect of an away day at N17 next season.

Tottenham fans copy the fans of Lincoln supporters during win at Villa Park

Lincoln were crowned champions of League One last week, with the club achieving promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1961.

During their title celebrations, both the Lincoln fans and their players could not help but be excited about the fact that they will be in the same division as Spurs, with chants of ‘Tottenham away ole ole’ ringing around the LNER Stadium.

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Interestingly, Spurs fans decided to mockingly co-opt the chant during their 2-1 win over Villa Park, which saw them move out of the drop zone.

Chants of ‘Tottenhama away ole ole’ could be heard very loudly from the travelling Spurs fans towards the end of the game.

Spurs fans cannot celebrate just yet

The mood around Tottenham has been completely transformed with the results at the bottom of the table over the last two days, which has put the Lilywhites in a strong position to stay up.

However, Roberto De Zerbi will be aware that the job is still not done, with only a point separating his side and West Ham.

The North Londoners may have a golden opportunity to put some daylight between them and the Hammers when they host Leeds next Monday, a day after Nuno Espirito Santo’s men take on Arsenal.

Unai Emery made some interesting statements about Tottenham Hotspur after watching them completely dominate his side at Villa Park on Sunday.

As expected, Villa rotated their side for the clash on Sunday, with Emery having half an eye on his side’s Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

However, not many would have expected Tottenham Hotspur to be as dominant as they were, with the home side not even laying a glove on De Zerbi’s men in the first period.

Emi Buendia’s stoppage time header made the scoreline flatter the Villans, and their head coach has given an honest assessment of the result.

Unai Emery admits that Tottenham outplayed Aston Villa

There has been a lot of debate and discussion about Emery’s decision to rotate his team against Tottenham, but the Spaniard has now insisted that the credit for the win should go to the Lilywhites.

He admitted that his side found it difficult to compete and create chances once they went 2-0 down.

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Speaking after Tottenham’s 2-1 win over his side, Emery said (via Villa’s official website): “Disappointed, but we must accept. Today, Tottenham, especially the first half, they played better than us. They were so, so focused and they scored two goals so quick.

“After, it was more difficult. We tried to react. I think the second half we played more or less reacting, but we couldn’t get really clear chances. We scored the last minute with Emiliano (Buendía).

“But now is the moment I can feel overall how we are doing the season and accepting as well. Today we lost, and today they deserved to win, Tottenham, and keep going in the Premier League to fight for the positions we are.”

Emery insists Spurs are a force despite their position in the table

The Villa boss was even more complimentary of his opponents in his post-match press conference last evening.

Emery asserted that despite the North London club’s position in the table, they showed that they are still a formidable side.

After a hugely significant weekend for the teams towards the bottom end of the table, Opta’s Supercomputer has revised its prediction on where Tottenham will finish.

Things were not looking too rosy for Tottenham when they found themselves at risk of falling adrift of safety until the dying stages of their clash at Wolves.

In fact, even after they emerged with three points from the Molineux Stadium, not many pundits gave Spurs much of a chance of survival.

Roberto De Zerbi continued to assert that Tottenham have the quality to win matches, and his players have repaid his faith by pushing themselves out of the bottom three.

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Where does Opta’s Supercomputer expect Tottenham to finish?

Spurs are not assured of safety just yet and still have work to do, although their chances of remaining in the top-flight look much better after West Ham’s loss to Brentford and their win over Aston Villa.

Opta’s Supercomputer has now revised its predicted table, with the website now backing Tottenham to finish in 17th place with an expected 41.06 points.

The data analysis platform suggests that West Ham are now on course to finish 18, predicting a points tally of 39.18 for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

The fact that only a point separates two London rivals in their final prediction suggests that this race is still very much neck-and-neck.

De Zerbi’s prediction has proven prophetic

De Zerbi kept insisting that just one win would completely change the mentality of the Tottenham players, and that seems to have played out.

Speaking after the Lilywhites threw away two points against Brighton, the Spurs boss insisted that his side can win all five of their remaining league games.

While that seemed an outlandish claim at the time, Tottenham have won both their matches since then, and they will be confident going into their big clash against Leeds next Monday.