note to all managers: if you’re top striker is misfiring, have a word with tim sherwood he obviously knows the secret of getting them back among the goals sherwood, albeit for a short period of time, revived emmanuel adebayor’s flagging tottenham career last season; now he’s replicating the achievement with christian benteke christian benteke heads aston villa into the lead against tottenham in the 35th minute of the game  benteke celebrates the goal that gave tim sherwood's team the advantage at the end of the first half  benteke continued his fine form for villa from tuesday, where he scored a hat trick in the 3 3 draw with qpr  benteke (second left) is mobbed by his villa team mates after scoring the opening goal against tottenham  benteke points to the sky as he led the villa attack against tottenham in the premier league  his success in rejuvenating benteke, who has scored six goals in eight games, will be viewed as, perhaps, sherwood’s most vital contribution if aston villa win their premier league survival battle ‘it’s about strikers applying themselves,’ said the villa boss, fresh from his side’s victory over former club tottenham ‘like ade, when i gave ade an opportunity to come back into the group at spurs, he had to earn the right and he did that by the way he trained christian’s no different tottenham (4 2 3 1): vorm 6; chriches 45 (yedlin 79min), dier 6, fazio 65, rose 65; mason 65, bentaleb 65; townsend 55 (lamela 79), eriksen 6, chadli 55 (soldado 62, 5); kane 65 subs not used: paulinho, friedel, stambouli, davies booked: rose, bentaleb, lamela aston villa (4 3 3): guzan 75; bacuna 75, clark 6 (baker 18, 75), vlaar 8, richardson 7; sanchez 7, cleverley 7, delph 8; agbonlahor 7 (cole 70, 65), benteke 85, grealish 7 (weimann 63, 65) subs not used: okore, n’zogbia, given, lowton booked: richardson, benteke sent off: sanchez scorer: benteke 35 man of the match: christian benteke referee: lee probert 7 stat: since sherwood took over at villa striker christan benteke is the premier league’s top goalscorer ‘i think christian was on the back of being dropped i think when arrived ‘i’ve had chats with him, told him what i think of him and how everyone in europe seemed to want him a year ago, and that doesn’t just vanish ‘so let’s get him back firing, let’s get him back training properly, and scoring goals’ indeed, similar patterns are emerging from sherwood’s spell as manager at white hart lane last season and his current job in the midlands in addition to turning adebayor and benteke back into premier league forces he’s brought his fearless approach to blooding youth players with him to villa park where would the careers of tottenham pair harry kane and nabil bentaleb be without sherwood’s guidance last season? and we saw further evidence of the manager’s youth minded attitude as he handed jack grealish, 19, only his second villa start at a white hart lane on saturday not only that but playing the teenager in the influential no 10 role villa manager sherwood was visibly ecstatic at recording the win and getting three points upon the final whistle  sherwood said: ‘we’ve got good young players coming through at villa jack grealish has been given his senior debut and rushian [hepburn murphy], 16 years of age, is another ‘jack played in a position where you need maturity but i don’t think he’s fazed i really mean that ‘if i thought he was going to be a gamble i wouldn’t have done it, but jack’s got real ability, you can see that sherwood handed 19 year old jack grealish (left) only his second villa start at a white hart lane on saturday  ‘he’s got a big future at this football club he’s certainly at the right place ‘so if you’re a young kid coming through, you’re not going anywhere else you go to tottenham or come to villa ‘they’re the two massive football clubs but you’ve got two managers who are going to give them an opportunity’ villa’s win virtually ended spurs chances of qualifying for the champions league emmanuel adebayor (left) was rejuvenated in front of goal following the arrival of sherwood last season  and when asked whether he’d want another campaign of playing in the europa league manager mauricio pochettino provided an uncommitted answer ‘how would we deal with the europa league again? it’s difficult it has been a very long season when you do a whole season playing thursday sunday maybe you arrive at the end at very difficult level,’ said the argentine ‘it’s not easy playing in the europa league when you are a young squad and you make the biggest effort during the season maybe you arrive, not physically, but mentally in a very difficult moment at the end of the season’
villa tottenham tim sherwood emmanuel adebayor christian benteke sherwood jack grealish second saturday
christian benteke has scored six goals in eight games  emmanuel adebayor thrived under tim sherwood at tottenham last term  sherwood handed jack grealish only his second villa start on saturday 