Tottenham Hotspur moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with an outstanding 2-1 victory at Aston Villa, as new head coach Roberto De Zerbi's rescue mission gathered serious momentum. West Ham United's 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday had left the door ajar, and Spurs stormed through it with arguably their finest performance of the season.
First-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison as good as finished the game as a contest before the interval. Substitute Emi Buendia pulled one back with a header in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but it was too little, too late as Spurs claimed the crucial three points that lifted them a point above 18th-placed West Ham with just three league games left to play.
A Rescue Mission Gathering Pace
Spurs arrived at Villa Park buoyed by events at the Gtech Community Stadium, where West Ham's heavy defeat had reopened the survival race. They were further enthused by the sight of a Villa team featuring seven changes from the side beaten by Nottingham Forest in midweek, and they were the better team from the very first whistle.