Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has forcefully rejected the narrative that his team's crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa last weekend was merely a result of facing a heavily-rotated side. The victory was a significant boost to Spurs' Premier League survival hopes, lifting them above West Ham and out of the relegation zone with three matches remaining.
Much of the post-match discussion centered on Villa manager Unai Emery's decision to make seven alterations to his starting lineup. This move came in the wake of Villa's Europa League semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest just days prior. De Zerbi, however, chose to focus on the quality of his own team's performance and the strength of the Villa side they actually faced.
"It was a great first XI," De Zerbi stated emphatically. He pointed to the caliber of players Emery did select, naming experienced internationals like Tyrone Mings, Youri Tielemans, and Jadon Sancho, as well as former Manchester United defender Victor Lindelöf and highly-rated left-back Ian Maatsen. The manager argued that this was far from a weakened team, regardless of how many changes were made.
De Zerbi also drew a parallel to another recent match to underscore his point. He noted that Nottingham Forest manager Vítor Pereira made eight changes for his team's subsequent trip to Chelsea, yet Forest stormed to an impressive 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. "The first XI for Forest was maybe more changes than Aston Villa did, no?" he questioned. "First half … 2-0 for Forest and has anyone said anything? No."
Furthermore, the Tottenham boss highlighted his own team's significant injury absences. He listed key players who were unavailable for the Villa match, including Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons, and James Maddison. "It is better if the people speak about us than we speak about them," he added, suggesting the focus should be on Spurs' resilience.
De Zerbi provided updates on several of those injured players. Striker Dominic Solanke is unlikely to be fit for the upcoming home match against Leeds on Monday, but there is hope he could return for the following fixture against Chelsea. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains sidelined, and midfielder James Maddison, who has been among the substitutes recently, is still not ready for match action as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Looking ahead, De Zerbi expressed a clear desire to secure the future of midfielder João Palhinha, who is currently on loan from Bayern Munich. Tottenham holds a €30 million option to make the deal permanent. "One hundred per cent," De Zerbi said when asked if he wanted to keep the Portuguese international. "We have to start from this type of person. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best as a player, for sure."
Based on reporting from Football | The Guardian.
