Forget Gallagher: De Zerbi Should Center Tottenham’s Future on Their Underrated £16m Midfielder
Last Sunday at Villa Park, Tottenham pulled off a vital 2-1 win against Aston Villa, hauling themselves out of the Premier League’s bottom three and boosting their hopes of staying in the top flight.
Going into the match, Spurs knew victory would take them above West Ham, who had already lost 3-0 to Brentford the day before. With three games left on the calendar, Tottenham now lead their fellow London side by a single point and have piled the pressure on Nottingham Forest ahead of their Monday night meeting with Chelsea.
Under Vitor Pereira, Forest find themselves just three points above the drop zone with three fixtures remaining — raising the genuine prospect that 40 points might not be enough for safety this season. Tottenham’s next test is a high-stakes home tie against Leeds United, where a win would bring them to 40 points with two games to spare. They’ll also be keeping a close eye on West Ham’s clash with Arsenal at the London Stadium, which kicks off just before Spurs take to the field on Monday night. Leeds, sitting comfortably in 14th with 43 points, will likely arrive in north London with little to fear.
Gallagher Shines in Crucial Victory
After a difficult start to life at Spurs — during which he struggled to make his mark amid a prolonged winless streak in early 2026 — Conor Gallagher had left a portion of the fanbase questioning his signing. The £200,000-a-week midfielder saw limited opportunities under Igor Tudor, but has been revitalized since Roberto De Zerbi stepped in.
De Zerbi has placed clear trust in the England international, drawing the best out of him through consistent encouragement. The 26-year-old was a constant presence at Villa Park, playing with relentless energy and netting his first goal for the club to put Spurs ahead against Unai Emery’s side. Post-match, De Zerbi described Gallagher as “amazing,” saying that when he plays, it feels like having an extra man on the pitch — a remarkable endorsement.
Bentancur Is the Real Foundation to Build On
Despite Gallagher’s importance to the win, De Zerbi’s long-term vision at Tottenham should revolve around his midfield partner, Rodrigo Bentancur. Spurs’ winless run — which lasted from late December through to late April — coincided almost entirely with Bentancur’s absence, with the Uruguayan featuring in just four of those 15 games.
Since recovering from his hamstring issue, Tottenham have collected seven points from a possible nine, with the only dropped points coming via Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time equalizer for Brighton. Bentancur, who arrived for just £16 million back in 2022, was taken off in the second half against Villa due to tiredness after yet another high-octane display. His impact speaks for itself — he has to be among the first names De Zerbi pencils into his starting lineup.
