Andre Villas-Boas admits he was relieved that the decision to start an underdone Gareth Bale against Manchester City today paid off.
The Welsh ace injured his ankle in the Europa League against FC Basel three weeks ago but managed to put in a full shift as well as providing one goal and scoring another as Spurs came from behind to win 3-1.
After the match, Villas-Boas was thrilled with the move paying dividends as Spurs kept their Champions League hopes alive with the club sitting two points behind third-placed Arsenal and one behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
"Fitness levels are very, very difficult to understand," he told Sky Sports.
"We had the green light from the player and he felt well to approach the game and I think the impact of having him in the team is also important.
"When we moved him to the right, (Gael) Clichy stopped going forward due to the respect they have for Gareth.
"After he felt confident with his assist he gained a little bit more confidence and then the mind takes over the fitness levels and he was able to play the full 90 minutes with great importance."
