14 stats that show De Zerbi can get the best out of Conor Gallagher at Tottenham
The underlying numbers from Conor Gallagher’s performance for Tottenham against Aston Villa suggest that Roberto De Zerbi’s side may have found a solution to their lack of a natural number 10.
Tottenham Hotspur, for the first time this year, put in a performance that many fans could get behind when they took to the pitch at Villa Park on Sunday evening.
The stakes were high for Roberto De Zerbi’s men, who would have been desperate to make London rivals West Ham United pay for their slip-up in their own league game against Brentford, where they lost 3-0.
Victory for Spurs was set to lift them out of the drop zone into 17th, leapfrogging Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.
De Zerbi’s side delivered, as Tottenham not only secured a 2-1 victory but did so convincingly, playing with intensity and purpose while dominating and controlling the game from start to finish.
It has taken the Italian four games to get these players into shape and spirit, and many fans will now be fancying Tottenham’s chances of staying up.
Tottenham see Conor Gallagher shine in Aston Villa win
While the manager deserves credit for how well he set his team up, a few players on the night were equally impressive.
One standout performer against Aston Villa was winter signing Gallagher, who produced his best performance in a Tottenham shirt since joining in January.
The Englishman, known for his pressing and intensity, displayed both at Villa Park as he bossed the midfield in his own way – full of energy, winning the ball and helping to apply pressure on Villa’s defence.
It was a complete display, capped by a well-taken goal from outside the box – his first for Spurs – as a low-driven effort from the former Chelsea man beat Emiliano Martinez and nestled into the bottom corner.
His underlying numbers reflected his impact, with FotMob awarding Gallagher an 8.2 rating, making him the player of the match, while his 11 defensive contributions stood out remarkably for a player operating furthest forward in midfield.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Goals | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 37/43 (86%) |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Shots off target | 0 |
| Shot accuracy | 1/1 (100%) |
| Touches | 62 |
| Accurate long balls | 1/2 (50%) |
| Defensive contributions | 11 |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Blocks | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Recoveries | 6 |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
| Ground duels won | 4/7 (57%) |
Gallagher gives Spurs a different edge in attack
Gallagher is certainly not your James Maddison or Xavi Simons, capable of playing intricate, line-breaking passes that repeatedly split defences.
In fact, against Villa, the Englishman did not create a big chance, nor did he manage a touch in the box, but his influence on the game was felt.
That is because Gallagher brought a quality that helped Spurs sustain pressure high up the pitch – his ability to press and close down opponents aggressively.
De Zerbi leaned on that to manage the absence of his creative players, with the 26-year-old key to maintaining pressure in Villa’s half and allowing Tottenham to create chances without a natural number ten.
When possession is won high up the pitch, there is little need for elaborate passing; a simple short pass can open teams up, and it worked to perfection on Sunday.
- READ MORE: Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa as Conor Gallagher stars
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