Roberto De Zerbi has singled out a Tottenham midfielder for praise after he helped his side dominate Aston Villa in their backyard.
After the latest injuries to Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke, some pundits had all but written off Tottenham’s chances of surviving.
However, De Zerbi passionately made the case that Spurs have the quality to win matches, calling on his players to leave everything on the pitch, and that is exactly what they need.
Not only did the Tottenham players run and fight for every ball, but they also showed bravery in possession, and their head coach is particularly delighted with what he saw from one of his midfielders.
Roberto De Zerbi claims Tottenham were playing with 12 players because of Conor Gallagher
De Zerbi had spoken about wanting to get Gallagher playing at his best, and he has managed to deliver on that, with the former Chelsea man putting in an outstanding performance at Villa Park.
The England international produced a typically tireless performance and got Tottenham’s all-important first goal, and the Spurs boss has suggested that it was like having an extra player on the pitch due to his energy.
When asked if he has the Chelsea version of Gallagher back, De Zerbi told Football.London: “Yes, absolutely. When Gallagher plays like this we play with 12 players because you can find him as a striker, as a midfielder, as a full-back, everywhere on the pitch you can find him. Great player, great passion, great qualities. Great player.”
Gallagher’s outstanding stats against Aston Villa
FotMob have awarded Gallagher with the Player of the Match award, giving him a performance rating of 8.2, which is richly deserved.
The Tottenham midfielder posted some outstanding numbers at Villa Park, with his defensive contributions standing out despite playing as the most advanced of Spurs’ midfield three.
Gallagher made three tackles, one block, one interception, and six ball recoveries, while also winning four out of the seven duels he contested.
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