Sunderland are now just two points off sixth in the Premier League and I can hardly believe the direction that our season has taken.
The win over Spurs feels significant. I can’t lie, I was worried that Roberto de Zerbi would bring a new manager bounce, but they looked just as poor as they have all season and I think that was in large part to do with how well Sunderland played. If we had lost, I probably would have been doubting our credentials, but the victory means we are firmly in the race for European football.
And why would anyone doubt us? We have momentum and, importantly, no fear. That makes us extremely dangerous in this race, as many of the other teams absolutely need to achieve a European finish. Our players are not scared of anyone and given the way the past few years have gone for us, I would not be surprised if we keep up the pace right until the final day.
What should we do next week at Villa, then? I think more of the same – give the type of performance that we gave at Leeds and Newcastle, where we were horrible to play against and really improved in the final third.
Villa are not playing well at the moment and I suspect Unai Emery would much rather not be playing Sunderland, and I think that's probably the attitude of a lot of clubs right now.
Are we one of the most horrible teams to play in the Premier League right now, with our athletic, aggressive, fast-paced style of football?
Yes – and I absolutely love it!
Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report
