Play like this and there is no way Tottenham Hotspur will go down. Play like this and it is extraordinary that Aston Villa are in the Champions League places and not facing relegation themselves.

The difference was summed up in two starkly contrasting moments. For Villa, Jadon Sancho took a short corner but was not alert enough to stay onside. So, when the ball was immediately played back to him the flag went up.

For Tottenham, João Palhinha chased down defender after defender in the Villa half before forcing Tyrone Mings into a panicky back-pass which went for a corner.

The Portuguese midfielder – who played like a man possessed – turned to the Spurs supporters demanding more noise and behaving as if he had scored.

The response looked like something demanded by Roberto De Zerbi, with other players – such as Pedro Porro – reacting with similar intense celebrations after winning back possession or having a decision go their way.

The impressive Randal Kolo Muani did the same after he was substituted and walked past the Tottenham fans.

The striker had also kissed the back of Palhinha’s head when the midfielder won the ball and earned a free-kick. Palhinha knelt on the turf pumping his fists.

And then there was Conor Gallagher. He scored the first goal; his first for Spurs with a low shot from outside the penalty area with Emiliano Martínez slow to react. It will have hurt Villa even more that Gallagher signed for Spurs ahead of them in January.

Spurs were prepared to stump up the £34m fee demanded by Atlético Madrid. Villa proposed a loan with an option to buy which will have frustrated Unai Emery. But not as much as this shocking performance even if, in truth, Spurs have had a poor return from Gallagher up until now.

Having declared last week that “only losers cry”, doubling down on his belief that Spurs will survive then this was the perfect reaction for De Zerbi. It also showed that Spurs have the “big manager” they craved and how they have lucked out in hiring the Italian.

“He makes you feel so good. He brings the best out of you,” Gallagher said. It felt like a universal belief and that might just be enough.

“I am honest. I have one face. If I say all our players are great level it’s because I feel. I don’t want to sell something if I don’t believe in my words,” De Zerbi said. “My job is just to transfer the confidence and believe in themselves. To show passion, to show value, pride.”

He grabbed his shirt just as Palhinha had done. “I love Palhinha,” he added, declaring that this version of Gallagher was like having “12 players”.

Okay, Villa’s Emery made seven changes ahead of Thursday’s momentous Europa League semi-final second leg at home to Nottingham Forest.

But after Spurs scored their second goal there were boos and an exodus of fans to the concourses – and maybe the exits. Just 25 minutes had elapsed. And it could have been four.

That crowd reaction – and there was more – must have provoked a maelstrom of emotions for Emery at a club where he rules the roost and has Messiah-status. On the touchline his demeanour radiated the definition of “if looks could kill”.

For Spurs, De Zerbi may be conferred similar God-like status if he keeps them up. With three games to go, albeit three demanding fixtures, they are a point ahead of West Ham United who have replaced them in the bottom three. It is that tight. But they are up for the fight.

De Zerbi has clearly got into these Spurs players. Finally they performed as if they wanted to stand their ground rather than flee. That they were not going to accept their fate and buckle under the pressure.

What a difference a win – and a confident manager – can make. Spurs were woeful at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week but got the points. Here they were far, far better and played like a team that will stay up.

Between January 1 and April 17, Spurs gained just five points (from a possible 42). In three games since then they have seven points (from a possible nine). That is some bounce.

Spurs swarmed all over Villa and exploited the weakness at the heart of their defence – with Martínez looking worryingly veteran-like in goal.

After Gallagher scored, Palhinha struck a post with another low shot from distance and Richarlison rose unopposed to head home from close range.

De Zerbi was on the pitch, celebrating. Emery just looked disgusted with his side registering a 0.00 chance of expected goals in an atrocious first half which ended with even more boos.

And after that? It was little better from Villa with Emery having clearly decided he would hold players back for the European tie and Spurs working ferociously hard.

Spurs did concede, with a header from substitute Emiliano Buendía in the 96th minute, but the game was won by then and the final whistle came seconds later. After the Villa cheers there were more boos by the smattering of their fans still in the stadium. Spurs celebrated once again. It all felt very together and very telling for them. And very worrying for West Ham.