Roberto De Zerbi had urged his Tottenham players to block out external noise, but his own animated reactions were impossible to ignore at Villa Park. When Richarlison headed in on 25 minutes to double Spurs' lead, De Zerbi, clad in pristine white high-tops, sprinted onto the pitch as if driving a Mario Kart, followed closely by coach Marcello Quinto.
First Consecutive Wins Since August
After recording their first victory of the year at Wolves last weekend, Tottenham returned to the West Midlands to secure successive Premier League wins for the first time since August. Crucially, this result lifts Spurs out of the relegation zone, swapping places with West Ham, who lost at Brentford on Saturday. Although it is May, Tottenham finally appear to be finding form.
De Zerbi, in just his fourth game in charge, clearly has his players responding to his methods. The travelling Spurs supporters erupted at the final whistle, with Aston Villa substitute Emiliano Buendia's late consolation goal doing little to dampen their spirits. Throughout the match and judging by the noise at the end, it felt like Tottenham, not Villa, were the team riding high and chasing Champions League qualification.
Dominant Display
Tottenham outclassed Villa in every department, even before Conor Gallagher opened the scoring after 12 minutes with a superb strike into the bottom corner from outside the box. Villa appeared to go through the motions from kick-off, and it is an ominous statistic that Spurs now have more away league wins this year than their hosts.
For Villa, this was another jolting defeat and another anaemic performance. Nottingham Forest will expect Villa to bring their A-game for the Europa League semi-final second leg, but Vitor Pereira must have been encouraged by this showing. Perhaps Forest's biggest concern is that Villa surely cannot produce such a lukewarm performance again on Thursday. Villa's display ranks among the worst since Unai Emery took charge three and a half years ago. Nothing typified their alarming showing more than Jadon Sancho being flagged offside after receiving the ball back from a short corner routine early in the second half.
De Zerbi's Impact
On this evidence, it is no wonder De Zerbi believes Tottenham can win all their remaining matches, with a trip to Chelsea sandwiched between home games against Leeds and Everton. It is also an advantage that Spurs do not leave London from here on, while West Ham travel to Newcastle. Tottenham outworked, outmuscled, and outfought an anaemic Villa side. They hoovered up second balls and seized on Villa's half-heartedness. De Zerbi outwitted Emery, whose seven changes with an eye on overturning Forest's advantage spectacularly backfired. Villa sorely missed captain John McGinn, absent through injury.
De Zerbi exudes charisma and has brought a gravitas that his predecessors lacked. He has also sharpened this Spurs side in double-quick time. The Italian acknowledges they still have flaws, but he has doubled down on their strengths, even with the division's biggest injury list. Rodrigo Bentancur, who beat the turf in the first half after an awkward landing under pressure from Lamare Bogarde, was running on empty by the time he departed midway through the second half.
Key Performances
Injuries to Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons forced De Zerbi into changes, with Richarlison's promotion paying off handsomely. Joao Palhinha, Mathys Tel, and Destiny Udogie also started. De Zerbi's messaging has been smart; after building up and instilling confidence in the front three who ran riot here, the trio delivered. Randal Kolo Muani, whom De Zerbi noted Paris Saint-Germain paid £76.4 million for a few years ago, was busy down the right and departed high-fiving away supporters. Tel was lively, and Richarlison got the goal that killed Villa, leaping to head past Emiliano Martinez inside the six-yard box.
"I have one face," De Zerbi said. "If I say Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Palhinha, and all our players are great level, big level, it's because I feel. I don't want to sell something if I don't believe in my words."
Palhinha cannoned a shot against a post as Spurs sought to double their lead, and while Villa established some order after the interval, Antonin Kinsky did not have a save to make. All five of Villa's efforts at goal came in the second half, with Buendia's 96th-minute header the only one on target. Tammy Abraham had just eight first-half touches and was replaced by Ollie Watkins on the hour after another blunt outing.
Gallagher's opener was sweet, and it will have hurt Emery that it was a player he greatly admires who reopened the wound after a first-leg defeat at the City Ground. The goal stemmed from a Kevin Danso long throw; only half-cleared, Gallagher's sidefoot control eliminated Abraham, and with his next touch he sent a powerful low shot into the corner. Gallagher punched the air, and Spurs' outfield players, all in luminous yellow, savoured the moment. De Zerbi, however, wanted more, calling Palhinha over for a pep talk. Spurs got that and then some.
