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As Tottenham Hotspur fans finally bask in some glory after a huge win over Aston Villa to now make it three straight fixtures without a defeat, even the players shining out on loan and giving Spurs hopes of a future iwth better days are enjoying life, too.

Luka Vuskovic recently returned from a knee injury to get some minutes for Hamburg against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, but the biggest news development goes to young winger Mikey Moore, whose now stellar loan spell with Rangers is being rewarded with some honors, too.

Tottenham fans are no doubt familiar with all the plaudits Vuskovic is earning as both the best young player and the best overall center back in the German top flight, but Moore has been getting Rangers fans to dream of a permanent move with how incredibly well he is playing.

Mikey Moore's stock is flying

And now, Mikey Moore has officially won the Scottish Premier League's award for the best young player of the season, stamping an official approval on a season that also has Tottenham Hotspur fans begging for him to come back and help save the day for an attack lacking excitement right now.

A healthy Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Xavi Simons, and WIlson Odobert with Mikey Moore and Mathys Tel alongside them on the wings sounds incredible. And if Tottenham can stay in the Premier League and bag an actual top striker to displace their veteran trio, then that will be all the better to seal the deal.

What has set Moore apart this season and made Rangers love the player is a lot of what Tottenham need to bring to the attack. He shows so much grit, toughness, and quality in the big games, as he is able to provide both excitement and end product in key moments while working and hustling with the intensity of a box to box midfielder.

Although Moore is not world class yet and still has a way's to go, the 18 year old attacking midfielder and winger has already made a huge mark on his loan in Scotland and was even a touted player at Tottenham the year before; he just needed to move on loan to get those regular minutes and responsibility of playing for a club every week.

Tottenham will almost certainly bring Moore back into the first team fold next season, and this honor as Scotland's best young player only seals his status as someone with the ability to elevate the Spurs attack in 2026/27.

For much of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was a liability. He could not exert enough influence over matches as Spurs would get overrun and drop results, with the experienced member of the midfield unable to create or even just meaningfully progress the ball.

Young Archie Gray stepped in his shoes and was so much better, even standing out as the team's clear best player during their worst of the descent into the Premier League relegation places. But surprisingly, immediately after Bentancur returned from a few months out of action, new manager Roberto De Zerbi reinserted the Uruguayan international into the starting lineup.

Although Spurs fans were initially confused and a bit miffed by this decision, time has proven De Zerbi right for trusting the keys of the midfield to the more experienced player, regardless of how Bentancur struggled under Thomas Frank for much of the season.

Rodrigo Bentancur has stepped up

De Zerbi is trusting his veterans to get Tottenham Hotspur out of Premier League relegation, and, so far, that trust is paying off. And he has done wonders with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur, turning them into pillars of the team.

So for Tottenham fans who bristled at the idea of Bentancur starting over a more talented Archie Gray who also has much more future upside, Bentancur has forced them to admit a truth that may have been an inconvenient one to ponder at the time. But by some manner of his ability to calmly preside over the Spurs overall game play, this Tottenham team is demonstrably better with Bentancur a part of the starting XI.

At least in this form under Roberto De Zerbi, Bentancur is one of the most important players on Tottenham with an influence that is impossible to ignore. Tottenham fans would have been surprised to know even six months ago that Bentancur would later become this pivotal in a relegation fight - or maybe even that Spurs would be at serious risk of relegation in the first place - but by now this is a factoid that the Lilywhites have come to embrace.

Bentancur is finding open players, and he is being much more brave than he was for Tottenham at the beginning of the season when he was severely disappointing, almost trying to hide behind the others to avoid stepping up with responsibility. But now, Bentancur has stepped it up, and Spurs are so much better off for it.

After watching Brentford hand them an apologetic gift for the Thomas Frank debacle in the form of a 3-0 thrashing of rivals West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur finally took care of business in a big game, defeating old top four rivals Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday night in the Premier League to officially dig themselves out of the relegation places.

Spurs are not out of the woods just yet, but there is a real optimism in the air around the club for the first time since the beginning of the season when they beat Manchester City. New manager Roberto De Zerbi is getting results and getting his players to perform more confidently - and no player has turned it around more profoundly under De Zerbi than Conor Gallagher.

Derided as a monumental waste of money as he floundered miserably in his opening fixtures at the club, Gallagher is now playing the best football of his career since arguably his Crystal Palace days when he was making a name for himself as a top Premier League midfielder.

Conor Gallagher made the difference vs. Aston Villa

Gallagher scored an absolute belter of a goal against Aston Villa to really stamp home his improved form. He did more than just score, playing a genuinely great defensive game as a ball winner, and De Zerbi has truly gotten the best out of Gallagher as a box to box midfielder in ways that his predecessors could not at all.

Tottenham Hotspur still wiffed on the winter transfer window, and the improvements Conor Gallagher is making under Roberto De Zerbi do not change that. But it has been refreshing to see how De Zerbi has been able to turn one of the worst performing players on the team and a huge liability in the middle of the park into someone who is legitimately helping them get points on the board in this Premier League relegation battle.

More than just getting passable performances out of him, De Zerbi has turned Gallagher into one of the best players on Spurs right now. Gallagher is creating chances, genuinely impacting games with great individual plays, and maintaining more control over the midfield, particularly defensive control even when playing as a No. 10 in the formation.

Tottenham are now picking up wins on the board as a club, not just scrounging out draws, and while beating the worst team in the league is one thing, taking down Aston Villa is another entirely. Gallagher is a big part of the club's success.

Tottenham Hotspur were described as being in "dreamland" midway through the first half of Sunday night's all-important duel at Aston Villa.

Brentford's 3-0 win over West Ham United handed Spurs an opportunity to move out of the relegation zone, and Roberto De Zerbi's side grasped the chance with both hands. Many were out to lament Unai Emery's rotation and Villa's indifference, but it was the resurgent Lilywhites that exacerbated the hosts' woes.

Goals from the outstanding Conor Gallagher and Richarlison secured the points, with Emilliano Buendia's clever late header the only stain on a brilliant showing that'll universally encourage a fatalistic fanbase.

Key to our success in the West Midlands was a midfield pairing that was chastised and slandered under former manager Thomas Frank. However, with De Zerbi masterfully empowering his players and instilling belief, Rodrigo Bentancur, in particular, has rediscovered his slickest form.

Bentancur is performing like the No. 6 Tottenham needed all along

Bentancur suffered under Frank. The Uruguayan has dealt with an array of injuries since his 2022 pomp, and the iteration that manifested during the first half of 2025/26 paled in comparison to the elegant midfielder who once looked like one of the Premier League's tidiest.

After a period in midfield purgatory, Spurs have unlocked Bentancur utopia once more, and the engine room is rejuvenated as a result. The former Juventus star is the cool and composed head Tottenham required, with De Zerbi's reinstallation of confidence and self-belief aiding Bentancur's re-emergence as a critical figure.

He was limited to 65 minutes of magic on Sunday night before a fresh fitness concern brought his outing to a premature end. Given the slight dip in control that ensued, it was clear how important Bentancur was to our superb performance, and another injury blow, one that could end his season, would be ever so cruel.

However, those concerns were alleviated post-match by the manager, who said his No. 30 was simply "just tired". Bentancur and the equally shattered Randal Kolo Muani, whose U-turn from disinterest to 'Tottenham 'til he dies' has been pretty remarkable, made way for Djed Spence and Yves Bissouma.

With eight days to prepare for Leeds United's visit next Monday night, Bentancur should be absolutely fine. Those who feared what his reunion alongside Palhinha would produce at Villa Park will rejoice if that's the duo De Zerbi opts for against Daniel Farke's physical outfit. The Italian's got the boys playing again.

While everyone has been busy worrying over James Maddison's return to action, perhaps Tottenham's midfield saviour has already arrived. After Frank convinced the world he was no good, Rodrigo Bentancur has got his swagger back, folks.

The injury crisis that has ravaged Tottenham Hotspur this season is nothing like we have seen before, and Spurs supporters had already become accustomed to a rash of injuries the last few seasons. But now with Cristian Romero, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Dominic Solanke, and Wilson Odobert all out for the rest of the season (the jury is still out on Solanke technically) on top of all the other injuries this season (big and small, including James Maddison only just working his way back from last season's torn ACL), Spurs have been destroyed.

But there are small hopes for Roberto De Zerbi to keep in his mind as positives. Beyond Maddison returning, Rodrigo Bentancur already came back to the Tottenham midfield from his multi month injury due to a hamstring tear, and he is playing his best football of the season. And soon, Pape Matar Sarr is returning to the middle of the park, too, after missing a few games.

Luka Vuskovic is back

There is one more injury return that Tottenham can technically consider a positive, even though he can't actually help Spurs right now in the relegation fight. But after missing the last few games with a knee injury and getting bit by an injury bug despite being a country or two over, budding superstar center back Luka Vuskovic was quietly back on the bench for Hamburg this weekend in the Bundesliga.

Hamburg won the match 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Croatian international was able to enter the match for the final 15 minutes or so without any issues. Again, Vuskovic is not a Tottenham Hotspur player right now, but he could be in just a few months and is a member of the organiztion on their books. So while his injury return does not help save Tottenham from relegation, it is always great news to hear that the most valuable long term player in the club is healthy again.

Vuskovic will probably play with his brother at Hamburg for one more season, but then Tottenham really need to make sure they are in the Premier League by the time he is ready to join them or any other big club. Because Vuskovic is the next big thing in world football and is already one of the best players at any position in the Bundesliga. Just knowing he is a Tottenham player and is back to health is a real positive for Spurs fans.

Hailed as a genius for having Brentford flirting with European football and supposedly producing some of the Premier League's biggest breakout forwards among Yoane Wissa, Ivan Toney, and Bryan Mbeumo, the last several months exposed quite the opposite for Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur.

Frank just might be the worst manager in Spurs history, and their relegation malaise currently is largely down to Frank's incompetence. Injuries have certainly hurt, as have the other issues in the squad, but Frank somehow managed to undo all the positives of the Ange Postecoglou era while continuing all the negatives.

Brentford cursed Tottenham with the Frank hire, as Spurs felt they were sold a false bill of goods, told they were getting a genius in Frank only to get nothing out of it. But Brentford had a bit of redemption planned for Spurs this weekend, defeating West Ham United 3-0 to suddenly give Tottenham Hotspur real hope in this relegation fight with another London rival.

Tottenham got a lifeline

As it stands heading into a huge game against Aston Villa, Spurs are 18th in the Premier League table, now two points behind the Hammers and within striking distance after breaking their 15 game winless streak last weekend against 20th placed Wolves.

Now, Spurs still have a lot to do themselves to get back above West Ham in the Premier League table, given only the full three points would suffice and a tie would keep them behind their rivals. But Brentford certainly did their part with a huge 3-0 win, as the goal difference could also come in handy for Spurs in the end, though their goal differential is still a whopping nine points worse than the Hammers (-19 to -10).

Brentford winning this game against West Ham doesn't make up for the Thomas Frank hire, though, of course, the Bees didn't do anything wrong with that. It was all Tottenham's fault for the move anyway, as even Fabio Paratici warned everyone not to hire Frank because he'd be a poor fit.

But a little help is always nice. As for Brentford, they are actually in an even better position without Frank. They are sitting even prettier in the European places nowadays, as this commanding win over West Ham puts them in sixth place, and if they can hold off the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, and the (not so) mighty Chelsea, then they will have direct qualification to the Europa League, which would be beyond massive for them.

There are quite a few players in the current Tottenham Hotspur squad whom the club have to look at with tinges of regret - or more powerful emotions of distaste. The most recent signing that has Spurs fans up in arms is the winter overspend on center midfielder Conor Gallagher, though under Roberto De Zerbi, who is a big believer in the veteran, he has begun to take steps towards salvaging himself.

But of all the bad overspends and misfits, Dominic Solanke, currently injured once again, stands out as the biggest flub. At 65 million pounds, the former Bournemouth striker is still, to this day, the record transfer for Tottenham, which is mind blowing when you consider how devastatingly horrendous he was prior to this injury in this Premier League relegation fight.

Even though Solanke had some bright moments against the minnows of the Europa League last season, he was a largely ineffective striker for the 17th placed team in the Premier League despite getting to benefit from James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Son Heung-min as suppliers around him.

Dominic Solanke is not making much of an impact

Aside from a purple patch following a return from his foot injury this season, Solanke has been quite poor, too, making a minimal impact, especially when his team desperately needed him the most over the past several weeks in the apex of a Premier League relegation fight that now increasingly disfavors Spurs.

When you consider the cost, the fact that Spurs have only gotten 12 Premier League goals through two seasons thus far from Solanke is a huge, huge problem. And for a supposedly great all around striker, the 28 year old also only has three assists in these two campaigns, too.

Dominic Solanke's age also becomes a problem. Not that anyone would want to buy him for any fee of significance at this stage - and with injuries in consideration - but Solanke came to Spurs already a veteran and packaged to them as a finished product. So he has no real resale value. What Spurs see is what they are getting, and, quite frankly, what they have gotten is quite little.

Richarlison has his flaws, but at least he is scoring goals, working hard, and actually on the pitch for Tottenham this season. Xavi Simons has shown signs of brilliance. Gallagher is working hard and trying to turn things around. James Maddison is splendid when healthy. Cristian Romero has his problems but is world class on occasion. Solanke? Outside of a few games here and there, he is a massive liability for Tottenham.

When it became unambiguous that Tottenham Hotspur would indeed be fighting for their very Premier League existence, the attention slowly began to turn to Richarlison as a potential solution. Though Richy has been below average this season, once again, he is the team's leading scorer and main threat to finish chances despite his lack of all around quality or consistency, and, most importantly, he is the sort of character who will not give up fighting in a relegation battle.

After all, what made Tottenham spend big to sign Richarlison in the first place was the reputation he earned as a player and a leader for Everton in their darkest hour of need, willing them to safety in the relegation fight.

Richarlison assisted the winning goal against Wolves in the 1-0 win last weekend to secure a vital three points, and he also had the crucial game saving goal against long time rival Liverpool last month to nab another important point in the Premier League relegation fight.

Richarlison is a walking dilemma

But even in that win over Wolves, Richarlison lost the ball unforced six times for Tottenham Hotspur, highlighting the sloppiness and lack of quality beyond the decisive moments that has plagued his overall 2025/26 season.

Roberto De Zerbi has so many issues to work out in the attack, compounded by mounting injuries, of which Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke are now the latest casualties for Spurs. And one of those issues is how to get the most out of Richarlison in this relegation fight.

There is no question that Richy is important to Spurs. Even at his worst, he still, against some odds, produces for the team. The goal against Liverpool and the assist against Wolves cannot be taken away from him, warts and all.

But that's the dilemma with Richarlison. Everyone knows what he is in theory and nobody can ever fault effort with him, which is more than can be said for the likes of Dominic Solanke, and, especially, Randal Kolo Muani. The thing is, where is the quality? And how do Spurs come to rely on a player who can run so hot and cold?

The reality is De Zerbi and Tottenham may not have a choice but to embrace the very best and worst of the chaos Richarlison brings to the table. Though RDZ seems to favor Kolo Muani, for some reason, there has to be an acknowledgment from De Zerbi that Richy is the better option for Spurs now. It's just, will Richy show it?

Lately, there has been a lot of praise for Tottenham Hotspur center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, as the Lilywhites have been without a defeat since the Uruguayan international's quiet return to the starting lineup after tearing his hamstring in the winter.

While Bentancur was actually one of the antagonists for Spurs in the first half of the campaign, epitomizing the deterioration of Tottenham under Thomas Frank into the most cowardly football in the English Premiership, he has emerged in shining armor under Roberto De Zerbi, even in the place of young Archie Gray.

But it is not a great thing that Bentancur has suddenly become so important to Tottenham and so above the others. Taking nothing away from the player himself, who was exceptional in blanketing an awful Wolves side last weekend in a 1-0 victory, but if Bentancur is the best midfielder of experience that Spurs have in terms of controlling a game, then this team is really in big trouble long term.

Tottenham have serious questions to answer in midfield

Tottenham Hotspur may be able to save themselves from relegation, which still seems bleak at this point, but rebuilding this club back into an annual team in European football is going to be tall task for Roberto De Zerbi and - wistful thinking here- the next leadership group that takes over from Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange.

Bentancur is a decent footballer, but he profiles as more of a rotational piece for a Premier League club with aspirations of hanging around in the top seven. Right now, he is indispensible to Tottenham and one of the driving forces of their survival bid under De Zerbi, which is, among many things, an indictment of how far Spurs have left the standard of quality slip at the N17 in the last few years.

It is all coming home to roost for Tottenham in 2026, and whlie the appreciation for Rodrigo Bentancur is merited, especially in the context of a player saving his own poor season and coming back from a brutal injury, the broader discussions about Tottenham as a whole are far less rosy.

There is going to be a lot of work that needs to be done this summer transfer window, and it is the sort of yeoman's work that has been needed for quite some time and not done. In the meantime, Bentancur will need to keep playing at this level, because, well, Spurs hopes of the Premier League are totally shot otherwise.

It is difficult to list the sheer number of issues plaguing Tottenham Hotspur in this nightmare of a 2025/26 Premier League season, but chiefly at the top of the list is this team's inability to score goals against all types of opponents. The Spurs attack was being carried by Harry Kane and Son Heung-min for years, and now that these two legends of the game are gone, Spurs cannot muster anything attacking wise.

The recent injury to Xavi Simons has gutted Spurs, and though another 10, James Maddison, will soon return from his own torn ACL, the problems in the front line are only going to be exacerbated by the loss of the dynamic Simons.

Right now, the only Spurs forward producing anything of note is Mathys Tel, and he can't get into the starting lineup under Roberto De Zerbi, who wants to utilize the veterans in order to stay afloat in the Premier League.

Randal Kolo Muani has been a huge disappointment

We have heard De Zerbi speak highly of Randal Kolo Muani, who was once one of the most touted French forwards after his breakout at Eintracht Frankfurt. He was even an important member of the French national team at the World Cup, bafflingly enough. And to spare his reputation after a flop of a transfer to Paris, Kolo Muani was actually quite good for Igor Tudor at Juventus in 2024/25.

But this season, aside from a hat trick outburst against employers PSG, Kolo Muani has been an abject failure in a Tottenham shirt. Even De Zerbi is fading him, because while he has started the recent games, he has been one of the first subs called off the pitch after offering no real goal threat.

Tottenham Hotspur don't have many other options, though. And now with Dominic Solanke, De Zerbi's main starting No. 9, out injured, it is down to Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, and Mathys Tel as the three Tottenham forwards standing.

It's unlikely Roberto De Zerbi gives up on Kolo Muani with how high he seems to be on the former Bundesliga star. With such a low shooting volume and with Kolo Muani looking so disinterested, perhaps the Italian manager goes for a bold solution in an effort to shake things up and coax some actual football out of the perennially disappointing striker.

With Solanke down for the count, maybe it is Kolo Muani who now becomes the main No. 9, with play running through him as either the central striker in a 4-3-3 or, more likely, the main striker with Mathys Tel or even Richarlison in support. Whatever it is, Spurs have to try something, because Kolo Muani's situation has been long past untenable.