Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Is Villa victory moment tide turned for troubled Spurs?

Roberto de Zerbi had called on Tottenham Hotspur to silence the voices inside the club as this traumatic, turbulent season reached the point of no return. The new head coach referred to the negativity surrounding Spurs as he attempted to mount a late salvage operation and avoid the prospect of the most embarrassing relegation in Premier League history. And how his players responded to the Italian's emotional call to arms with their finest display of the campaign, securing a hugely deserved 2-1 victory at Aston Villa that leapfrogged them over West Ham and out of the relegation zone. This was so emphatic, so transformed from what had been served up before De Zerbi's appointment on 31 March, that it was fair to ask pertinent questions. Not just where this version of Spurs has been all season, but more significantly - was this the moment the tide turned for them as they bid to dodge the drop into the Championship? West Ham's 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday had left the door ajar, adding weight to De Zerbi's rallying cry, but those who have observed Spurs on a regular basis this season could not have expected them to burst through it so forcefully. There was something in the air be