Tottenham Hotspur gave their survival prospects a huge boost with an impressive away victory at Aston Villa on Sunday night.
Goals from Conor Gallagher (£5.0m) and Richarlison (£6.3m) settled the match, with Emiliano Buendia’s (£5.3m) stoppage-time consolation strike coming too late to salvage the hosts.
Here are our Scout Notes from Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur.
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SEVEN VILLA CHANGES
Unai Emery may have had Europe in mind when selecting his side for this match. Sitting in fifth place with a six-point lead over Bournemouth, the Spaniard made a calculated gamble to omit Ollie Watkins (£8.8m), Paul Torres (£4.3m), Ezri Konsa (£4.4m) and Lucas Digne (£4.5m), with only two of his seven changes enforced. Amadou Onana (£4.8m) and, unexpectedly, John McGinn (£5.3m) were injured.
Emery appeared to take umbrage at the suggestion he had rested his team ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
“Last week we lost against Fulham and which players played against Fulham? We played against Nottingham Forest and we lost. Today we lost with different players.” – Unai Emery on squad rotation for Spurs
NO SHOTS FOR AN HOUR
There is certainly a concern for Villa that the long season is starting to take its toll on the players. Their 11-match winning sequence of November and December seems a long time ago now, and this was their third straight defeat in all competitions.
They didn’t have a single effort until the hour mark and a shot on target until the 96th minute.
Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) had two efforts, but they were long shots in more ways than one. Both attempts were taken from outside the box and blocked, and amounted to a total Statsbomb xG of 0.04.
Elsewhere, Tammy Abraham (£5.8m) and Jadon Sancho (£5.8m) underwhelmed, neither offering a single shot in anger. Pretty much every starter was poor to dismal.
Watkins did come on for a second-half cameo, and looked quite lively, but was repelled by some clever use of the dark arts by Spurs’ rearguard and managed only one shot off target.
…BUT BURNLEY NEXT
The expectation is that McGinn and Watkins will start against Forest on Thursday, and once there is clarity on their European prospects, managers will have a better gauge on whether to invest in them for the run-in – or at least Gameweek 36 in isolation.
Remember, the Europa League final falls between Gameweeks 37 and 38:
The good thing about Sunday’s defeat is that it possibly increases the likelihood of Emery going strong in Gameweek 36. The clash with Burnley looks by far the best chance of bagging points, and they really need a win as the chasing pack has cut the gap between themselves and fifth place over the last two Gameweeks:
Above image from BBC Sport
Rogers owners might be sick of the sight of him but perhaps there’s one final dance in him before he’s consigned to the Fantasy scrapheap.
“In the first half we didn’t perform well. In the second half, we reacted, but it was not enough. In 35 games, things are very good, and we have the advantage to still be in the top five, but we must continue to be demanding.” – Unai Emery tries to look on the bright side
TOTTENHAM TRANSFORMED
Spurs, meanwhile, were unrecognisable from anything we’ve seen from them all season. The midfielders played like men possessed, snapping into tackles, pressing high and growling with intent. They battled as though their lives depended on it, which, in footballing terms, they did.
From minute one, they dominated the field tilt and never looked back once Gallagher had brought the ball out of the sky with a smart piece of skill before rifling it into the net from distance early on. With Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.2m) and Joao Palhinha (£5.5m) winning second balls relentlessly, Spurs’ direct style paid dividends. Palhinha, the hero of the win over Wolves last time out, was unlucky to see a long shot of his own rebound off the upright.
Heaven only knows how he would have celebrated had he scored, given how he and Bentancur were celebrating winning fouls with clenched fists and primal screams.
“I love Palhinha like this. I don’t ask players to do it, but when I see this passion I become crazy.”
– Roberto De Zerbi on Palhinha’s die-hard attitude
TEL STAR
The ball-winning in midfield gave a platform for the likes of Mathys Tel (£6.2m), who has been one of Spurs’ few bright sparks in recent weeks, the chance to demonstrate his ability.
He produced a match-best seven crosses in this game, helped by a share of corners, while no midfielder has created more ‘big chances’ so far this Gameweek than Tel’s two, which included a pinpoint assist for Richarlison’s decisive header.
In the absence of Xavi Simons (£6.4m), he could be an uber-differential worth looking at for the forthcoming matches:
RICH PICKINGS
Spurs players were best avoided until very recently but now several are making a case for inclusion on managerial watchlists. Richarlison is another such player, with Dominic Solanke (£7.1m) struck down by Spurs’ witches’ injury curse.
The Brazilian stepped up to the plate with his 10th goal of the season and his second attacking return in two matches. With the north Londoners now providing a better platform upon which their attacking players can thrive, the Brazilian could be a canny choice for managers looking to make waves in their mini-leagues.
Above: Forwards sorted by points per start in 2025/26 (minimum of 10 starts)
Spurs have to keep winning to ensure they don’t go down, and crucially, they now look capable of doing so.
It helps that De Zerbi appears to be encouraging his players, unlike his predecessor, Igor Tudor, who appeared more intent on reminding them all how rubbish they were.
“We have to stay focused for the next game. I think my biggest job is to help the players show their qualities. Their level is not to fight for relegation, but we have to accept and be stronger than the people who speak too much. There was the right spirit and behaviour on the pitch. I’m pleased with the performances.
– Roberto De Zerbi
“I love playing football. Especially if you have these players in the squad, my job is to help them, to put them in the right condition to play, to show what they are capable of doing.”
– Roberto De Zerbi
At the other end, Spurs were unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet. Owners of Pedro Porro (£5.2m) saw his points tally halved from eight to four at the death, but he nonetheless earned defensive contribution points, and has amassed 22 points in the last three Gameweeks. The Spaniard remains an asset capable of scoring points at both ends of the pitch.
POSITIVE INJURY NEWS – FOR A CHANGE
Bentancur had to be substituted midway through the second half with an injury but De Zerbi allayed concerns over the severity of the issue by saying he was “just tired”.
Micky van de Ven (£4.4m) was also spotted limping late, but when asked about the Dutchman’s fitness, the Spurs head coach confirmed that he was “okay”.
Spurs also welcomed back Destiny Udogie (£4.3m) and Pape Matar Sarr (£4.5m), the former playing the full 90 minutes.
