Gallagher got the ball rolling on Wednesday night with a composed finish to break the deadlock. It was the Academy graduate's first goal of the campaign.

Fernandez has been a more frequent name on the scoresheet this season but his goal at Villa Park – an expertly-placed free-kick from 25 yards – was undoubtedly his best in a Blue shirt.

‘It was only a matter of time,' Pochettino reflected during his pre-match press conference ahead of Monday night's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

'Conor and Enzo are really good players and they work a lot to show their commitment to the team and the club.

'It was great for Conor and also great for Enzo. I feel so happy for both of them because they deserve to feel this way, they deserve to feel happy and enjoy playing football.

‘These two guys work so hard to try and perform, and I was really pleased with the performance from them both.'

The 3-1 victory at Villa – which was secured by one of our standout performances of the season – continued our fine domestic cup form this term.

But the challenge for the Blues is to find consistency in the Premier League, starting with trips against Palace and Manchester City.

And Pochettino is hopeful that the standard set at Villa Park in midweek, against one of the form teams in the country, is maintained for the remainder of the season.

'I think before [earlier in the season] we also had some good performances but then were not consistent enough. This could be the starting point for us, to start to be consistent and show more often this type of performance.

'I think the players deserve it because they have been working really hard since the start of the season.

'This type of win shows our capacity and the talent that we have in the squad. Now we need to put it together and there are many good things we need to keep for the future.'