At a glance:
- Tottenham beat Aston Villa 2-1
- They’ve won two consecutive games
- Spurs dominated Villa
Tottenham Hotspur registered their second win in two games, beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday.
While the scoreline suggests it was a close encounter, it wasn’t at all. Spurs dominated the entire game and carried on the momentum after beating Wolves last week.
Conor Gallagher (12’) and Richarlison (25’) scored for them in the first half. Emi Buendia (90+6’) scored deep into stoppage time for Villa.
The result saw Tottenham climb out of the relegation zone after West Ham lost 3-0 against Brentford on Saturday. They now sit one point above the Hammers with three games remaining.
They are also two points behind Nottingham Forest, who can extend it to five points when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
3 takeaways from Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa
1. Roberto De Zerbi put in a tactical masterclass
Earlier this season, Aston Villa carved Spurs apart simply through their midfield. On Sunday, Tottenham ensured that a repeat didn’t happen. The likes of Richarlison and Conor Gallagher blocked the passing channels for Villa and pressed brilliantly as a team.
They won possession back quickly and also went more direct when required. It just showed immense tactical acumen and preparation from De Zerbi and his staff.
Also Read: ‘When he plays well, we play with 12’ – Roberto De Zerbi blown away by Tottenham player
2. Players believe in De Zerbi
It was clear that the Tottenham players didn’t buy into Thomas Frank’s philosophy earlier this season. There were public spats and no cohesion on the pitch.
However, under De Zerbi, the players seem much more confident and seem to know what they want to do. Against Villa, while the Italian put in a good tactical blueprint, it worked because the players executed it well. They stuck to the plan from start to finish, leading to their win.
3. Tottenham are unlikely to get relegated
Now, it would be most like Spurs to lose at home against Leeds United next week after two big wins. However, based on the evidence under De Zerbi, it appears unlikely.
In the four games he’s managed, Tottenham have garnered two wins, one draw, and one defeat. Their defeat came against Sunderland, which was marred by poor decisions from referee Rob Jones. Against Brighton, they dropped points late due to a stoppage-time goal.
Also Read: Tottenham’s exact relegation probability drops massively after Aston Villa win
Hence, overall, Spurs have put in good performances under De Zerbi and shown signs of improvement. With West Ham facing Arsenal and Newcastle United next, Tottenham appear unlikely to get relegated now.
