Roberto De Zerbi says Conor Gallagher form is like Tottenham having extra player

By Jonathan Veal, Press Association

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi says it is like playing with 12 men when Conor Gallagher is on top form.

Gallagher has endured a tough time at Spurs since joining on loan from Atletico Madrid, but he produced the best display of his spell in Sunday’s pivotal 2-1 win over Aston Villa which saw them move out of the Premier League’s bottom three.

The 26-year-old scored his first goal for the club to put his side in front, but it was his all-round performance that really shone through, with his relentless pressing.

De Zerbi’s system looks like getting the best out of Gallagher.

“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,” he said.

“Great player, great passion, great qualities. Great player.”

Gallagher admitted it has been a “difficult few months” but enjoyed his evening’s work at Villa Park.

Asked whether it was his best performance in a Spurs shirt, he told Spurs TV: “I think so, for sure.

“It has been a difficult few months for me, for the whole club and this is what I do best, work hard off the ball.

“I am a team player, I try and do what I do best and the fans were able to see that. I’ll keep doing that the best I can to make the club proud, to help Tottenham keep playing like that and get more wins.

“If I am being honest, normally when I scored when you score your first goal for the club there is a relief for yourself, but there was none of that, I was so focused on going again and continuing to play well, knowing how important the three points were.

“I am so happy and so proud.”

While Spurs produced their best performance of the season, Aston Villa dropped their worst as they slipped to a third successive defeat in all competitions.

Boss Unai Emery made seven changes, with his focus clearly on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg at home to Nottingham Forest.

Villa fans protested at an abject display by booing their team, but Emery stood firm.

“I am here for more than three years, and how we have done everything, I don’t forget it,” Emery said.

“We spoke in the dressing room after the first half about it. How we are getting it, during the process we have been on here, and how we want to continue in the way.

“We can perform better or worse, but overall how we are we analyse the process and how we did it [the process].

“We can perform better or worse, but I am not losing my mind and my point of view about how I want to get it. We lost today because Tottenham performed better than us.

“They are a very good team. For different circumstances they are not fighting where we are, but we must be realistic about everything.”