At a glance:
- Tottenham win two games in a row
- They climb out of relegation zone
- Spurs are improving under De Zerbi
Tottenham Hotspur climbed out of the relegation zone in the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday.
It was a dominant performance from the relegation-threatened side, carrying on from their win over Wolves last week. While Villa rotated a few players due to their UEFA Europa League semi-final, Spurs were missing over five starters due to injuries.
However, Roberto De Zerbi put in a tactical masterclass, which was executed well by his players. Conor Gallagher (12’) gave Tottenham the lead with a long-range effort, before Richarlison (25’) headed in emphatically to make it 2-0.
Spurs dominated the game, but Emi Buendia found a consolation goal for Villa late into stoppage time.
Tottenham finally starting to deliver
It was an excellent performance from Spurs on the night, and statistics prove it as well. They also show the improvement De Zerbi has made in such a short time, which could ultimately ensure their Premier League safety. Let’s look at five of them:
- Highest average of possession won this season
De Zerbi has taken charge of four games at Tottenham. According to Opta, in those games, Spurs have won possession on an average of 5.3 times per game in the final third. It is the highest for any team in the Premier League this season.
- Recovery of possession in Villa’s half
Tottenham have a clear philosophy under De Zerbi, which starts with pressing well. Against Villa, they recovered the ball on an average of 49 metres away from their goal. This makes it their furthest average recovery this season, according to Opta.
Also Read: ‘When he plays well, we play with 12’ – Roberto De Zerbi blown away by Tottenham player
- Tottenham conceded 0.00 xGOT until stoppage time
Most good teams in the history of football have defended from the front, and Spurs under De Zerbi are the same.
According to the xG Philosophy, Spurs conceded an xGOT (xG on target) of 0.00 until the 96th minute against Aston Villa. This ended with an excellent header from Buendia.
- Tottenham’s away record
Spurs are in the relegation zone with just 37 points in 35 games. They have lost 16 games, winning nine and drawing 10.
However, incredibly, they have the third-best away record in the Premier League this season. They have picked up 26 points away from home, only bettered by the Top 2 teams, i.e., Arsenal (32) and Manchester City (31).
- More points than last 14 combined
Tottenham had to wait for 15 games and over 110 days for their first Premier League win of 2026. They had managed just five points in 14 league games before facing Wolves. They have now garnered six points in their last two games.
Also Read: Tottenham’s exact relegation probability drops massively after Aston Villa win
Overall, Tottenham look rejuvenated under De Zerbi. It’s not just purely because of passion, but also because of excellent tactics from the Italian.
If they can continue in the same vein, they are most likely to stay in the Premier League next season.
