‘Great footballer’… Gary Lineker says one Tottenham player ran the show at Villa Park yesterday

Gary Lineker has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison ‘ran the show’ at Villa Park on Sunday.

Tottenham laid down a marker in the race for a top-four finish with a 4-0 win at Aston Villa yesterday.

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After a cagey opening period, James Maddison found a breakthrough for Spurs thanks to an inch-perfect delivery from Pape Matar Sarr.

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Brennan Johnson, Heung-min Son and Timo Werner capped off an excellent display on the road for Spurs.

But it was Maddison’s showing in the middle of the park which has impressed Gary Lineker.

Lineker lauds Maddison after Tottenham thrash Villa
Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker reacted to Tottenham’s win at Villa and singled out Maddison for praise.

“They were terrific, played some great football,” the former Tottenham man said.

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“I thought Maddison ran the show again. He’s a great footballer but he’s also a leader on the field. You could see him cajoling players all around the place.”

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Maddison returned from an ankle injury back in January and is yet to reach top form once again. The 27-year-old got off to an exceptional start to life at Tottenham after his summer switch from Leicester City.

But Maddison has managed a goal and an assist in his last two games for Spurs, which could indicate he’s finding his best form once again.

While there were plenty of brilliant displays across the pitch for Tottenham, Maddison put in an exceptional performance in midfield.

The Englishman often dropped deep to help Ange Postecoglou’s side build attacks, while also providing a real threat in the final third.

You’d expect Maddison to play a key role for Spurs in their push for a top-four finish during the business end of the campaign and based on his last two performances, he’s approaching full-match sharpness once again.