Roberto de Zerbi said he was proud to see his Tottenham team beat Aston Villa, but warned them not to forget the situation they were in just a few weeks ago.
After losing to Sunderland in his first game in charge on 12 April, and drawing 2-2 with former club Brighton six days later, the north London club were 18th in the Premier League with two points ahead of their game against Wolves on 25 April.
However, by defeating Villa, who were bottom of the division and chasing the Champions League at the time, Spurs not only won back-to-back league games for the first time since the first two games of the season, but also moved the Hammers into 17th place with three games remaining.
“We played against Aston Villa, a very good team with a lot of very good players and a great manager, but we played very well for 60 minutes, with the ball and without the ball,” De Zerbi told TNT Sports after the final whistle at Villa Park.
“We could have scored more goals, especially in the first half, but I’m happy with the performance of the players. I know how much they’ve struggled this season and I’m very proud of them. The only disappointing thing on the pitch was the goal we conceded.”
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
“The season is not over yet. We have three very tough games starting from Monday night against Leeds.
“Leeds are playing very well. They deserve to stay in this position in the table.”
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“We can’t forget the situation before Wolverhampton, but before that it was a very sad situation.
“These memories must remain in our minds every day, especially this week after this victory.”
The Italian was also asked what he was most happy about on Sunday night.
“The pressure is high for sure, because it’s the mentality that the pressure is high,” he said.
“Then possession. We played very well and calmly. When we had to attack space or go for a shot, we did it. When we had to hold onto the ball, we did it.”
“I love playing football. Especially when you have these players on the team, my job is to help them, get them in the best condition to play and show them what they are capable of.”
And he had special praise for man of the match Conor Gallagher.
“When Conor Gallagher was playing well, we were playing with 12 players,” De Zerbi said. “He’s a great player.
“Randal Kolo Muani and Matthijs Tell, they played a great game today. Joao Parinha and (Rodrigo) Bentancur were great. Both centre-backs were great with the ball and without the ball. I’m very happy.”
GALLAGHER: I hope this is just the beginning.
Conor Gallagher is congratulated by his team-mates after giving Spurs the lead at Villa Park.
Tottenham’s Conor Gallagher told TNT Sports:
“It was a great performance, exactly what we needed.
“Everything we’ve done in the week leading up to the game showed tonight and I’m really happy with the performance and the three points.
“It was a perfect night, but I hope this is just the beginning. We want to continue this form into the last few games of the season.
“This is huge for us and hopefully our confidence starts to grow and we can continue to have games like this.”
“I can’t praise him (De Zerbi) enough. He was very good.
“All the players in the team like him, everyone trusts him, he makes you feel good, he gives you confidence, he brings out the best in you, and that’s just the beginning.
“I hope we can continue to learn from him and build a great team.”
