Roberto De Zerbi took responsibility for Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-2 loss to Aston Villa, but he also raised concerns about his team’s defending, fitness, and leadership in a frank post-match press conference.
Roberto De Zerbi took responsibility for Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-2 loss to Aston Villa, but he also raised concerns about his team’s defending, fitness, and leadership in a frank post-match press conference.
Spurs had most of the ball in the first half and created chances, but still went behind when Johan Manzambi scored in stoppage time. Tottenham were down to 10 men while Micky van de Ven was treated, but De Zerbi did not see that as a good enough excuse.
De Zerbi felt his players needed to talk more, stay organised, and adapt to the situation. Rodrigo Bentancur moved to central defence and Matheus Fernandes dropped into midfield, but Spurs still struggled in the short spell before half-time.
De Zerbi was especially upset about Villa’s second goal, which Nicolas Jackson scored after a long clearance. Tottenham had worked on defending against Villa’s direct passes but still could not stop the threat.
Instead of focusing on Spurs’ good possession and attacking moments, De Zerbi said his team needs to get better during the tougher parts of games. He also called for more leadership from his senior players. " They have to be leaders and to lead the team,” he said.
Mohammed Kudus came on for Fernandes at half-time and seemed to score an equaliser, but the goal was ruled out for offside. De Zerbi said he thought about starting Kudus as a number 10, but picked Fernandes because he expected him to offer more control and energy.
Still, the Tottenham coach admitted he was disappointed with Fernandes's performance. De Zerbi said his comments were not meant as personal criticism, and he still trusts the young player, but he expects more.
De Zerbi disagreed with the idea that bringing on Kudus caused Tottenham to lose control. He thought Spurs became unbalanced as they chased the game, forcing passes, and taking risks. This let Villa exploit the open spaces on the counterattack.
The manager also talked about Tottenham not signing another striker. De Zerbi said the club’s transfer plans changed a few times over the summer because of financial rules and trouble selling some players. He said the recruitment team knew what the squad needed but could not finish every deal they wanted.
Dominic Solanke still has De Zerbi’s support, though the coach admitted the striker’s confidence and fitness are not where they need to be.
“He’s much better than this Domi Solanke,” De Zerbi said, promising to continue supporting the forward.
De Zerbi said leaving out Mathys Tel was a tactical choice. He thought James Maddison and Kudus could make more of an impact from the bench, and other spots needed defensive cover. Tel was told about the decision in advance and reportedly took it well.
Looking forward to the international break, De Zerbi said the time off could help Tottenham. The players staying at the club, like Maddison, Gallagher, Solanke, Tosin, Senesi, and Savio, will be expected to train hard.
De Zerbi finished the day very disappointed with both the performance and the result. He took responsibility but made it clear that Tottenham need to get stronger, more disciplined, and much better at handling tough moments.
