Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has no doubts about the status of Gareth Bale after his brace in victory Europa League opponents Lyon.

Bale has scored seven goals in his last five matches for club and country, again leading to suggestions he is among the best players in the world.

Asked if Bale was up there with the Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Villas-Boas said: "Yeah, he is going through a great individual moment.

"I think you have to recognise that. He is scoring lots of goals for the team and I think this is his best goalscoring season for Tottenham. You can see the player is enjoying his football and getting a buzz out of it.

"Once things like this happen, individual players keep their motivation high and they are able to help the team reach their objectives."