Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou revealed he sensed Aston Villa were fading towards the end of the first half of his team’s thumping 4-0 win.
Two goals in three minutes early in the second half, scored by James Maddison and Brennan Johnson, put Spurs in control at Villa Park.
And after the home side were reduced to 10 men when John McGinn was sent off, Son Heung-min and Timo Werner added late goals to complete a resounding victory,
But boss Postecoglou played down the significance of McGinn’s dismissal.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, he said: “I don’t think it was a key moment. I think we were well in control at 2-0. I thought we were well in the ascendancy.
“I got a sense towards the back end of the first half that they were beginning to tire a little bit. And that was the message at half-time: persevere, stay calm, play our football, maintain our intensity.
“We did that and the quality of our football was excellent. I thought it was as controlled as we’ve been all year.”
The result was a major boost to Tottenham’s chances of securing a Champions League place.
They remain fifth in the Premier League table, but are now just two points behind fourth-placed Villa and have a game in hand.
“I’m pleased with the way we handled the whole day,” Postecoglou said.
“We knew it was a significant game, tough venue, good opponent. In the context of all that we did really well.
“What’s important for me is the growth of our team and I thought we saw that today. It was another positive step forward for us.”