Tottenham Hotspur produced a passionate display to defeat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park, climbing out of the Premier League bottom three. Goals from Richarlison and Conor Gallagher secured a vital win for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who showed renewed energy and intensity.
Richarlison headed in on 25 minutes to double Spurs' lead after an earlier opener. Gallagher then added a superb second-half strike, which he later described as a 'good goal', saying he took the chance to take a touch forward and the space opened up. Villa pulled one back late through Emi Buendia, but Spurs held on for all three points.
De Zerbi, who took over just over a month ago, has been praised by Gallagher for bringing confidence and trust to the squad. 'Every player has taken to him, everyone trusts him,' Gallagher said after the match. 'He's bringing the best out of players, and it's only the start.'
The win lifts Tottenham out of the relegation zone, with survival now in their hands. It was a third straight defeat for Villa without scoring, as they rotate heavily ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
