Tottenham secured a vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, lifting them out of the Premier League relegation zone with back-to-back wins. Conor Gallagher and Richarlison scored early for the visitors, while Emiliano Buendía netted a late consolation. Roberto De Zerbi praised his team's performance but urged focus on the remaining three games.
Tottenham moved to 17th in the Premier League table, one point above the bottom three, after their richly deserved win at Villa Park. The result followed West Ham's defeat to Brentford on Saturday and came after Spurs' recent victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Aston Villa, who made seven changes following their Europa League semi-final first leg, struggled early despite their strong home form and recent wins over Tottenham in prior meetings. De Zerbi was effusive in his assessment: “We played against Aston Villa, they are a very good team. A lot of very good players, a great manager but we played very well for 60 minutes without the ball and with the ball.” He singled out Conor Gallagher, who scored the opener in the 12th minute with a powerful strike from range: “Gallagher, when he plays well, we play with 12 players. He is an amazing player.” Richarlison added a second on 25 minutes, heading in a cross from Mathys Tel. Emiliano Buendía pulled one back with a stoppage-time header from a Matty Cash delivery, but Tottenham held firm. Speaking to the BBC, De Zerbi remained cautious: “The season is not finished yet and we cannot be happy just for these two wins. We have to keep working with the same mentality.” He dismissed the significance of escaping relegation trouble with one word: “Nothing.” Spurs face Leeds next on Monday night, with De Zerbi emphasizing focus amid the three games left.
