Forget Gallagher: De Zerbi Must Build Tottenham Team Around Insane £16m Star

On Sunday at Villa Park, Tottenham Hotspur secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, lifting them out of the Premier League relegation zone and strengthening their bid to avoid dropping into the Championship.

Heading into the match, Spurs knew that three points would see them climb above West Ham United, following the Hammers’ 3-0 loss to Brentford on Saturday. With just three games remaining, Tottenham now sit one point clear of their London rivals and have heaped pressure on Nottingham Forest ahead of their Monday night clash with Chelsea.

Under Vitor Pereira, Forest are now only three points above the relegation zone with three matches left to play, raising the real possibility that teams may need more than 40 points to secure survival this season.

Tottenham’s next fixture is a massive home game against Leeds United—a win would take them to 40 points with two games still to play. They will also be hoping for an unlikely favor from Arsenal, who face West Ham at the London Stadium just before Spurs kick off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night. Leeds, currently 14th with 43 points, will likely feel safe heading into the trip to north London.

Gallagher ‘Amazing’ in Spurs Win

After a slow start to his Tottenham career—during which he struggled to make an impact amid the club’s long winless run in 2026—Conor Gallagher had left some fans doubting whether he was the right signing. The £200,000-per-week midfielder saw his playing time limited under Igor Tudor, but has been transformed since Roberto De Zerbi took charge.

De Zerbi has clearly shown faith in the Englishman, offering encouragement to bring out his best—and it has paid off. The 26-year-old was everywhere at Villa Park, playing like a man possessed, and also netted his first goal for the club to give Spurs the lead against Unai Emery’s side. After the match, De Zerbi called Gallagher “amazing,” adding that when he starts, it feels like playing with 12 men—high praise indeed.

De Zerbi Must Build Around Bentancur

While Gallagher was vital to the win, De Zerbi’s long-term project at Tottenham should be built around midfield partner Rodrigo Bentancur. Spurs’ winless run stretched from December 28 to April 25, during which Bentancur was available for only four of those 15 matches.

Since returning from a hamstring injury, Tottenham have taken seven points from a possible nine—and it would have been nine if not for Georginio Rutter’s late equalizer for Brighton.

The Uruguayan international, who initially cost £16 million in 2022, was substituted in the second half against Villa due to fatigue following another tireless display. His performances make it clear that he must be one of the first names on the teamsheet in the De Zerbi era.