Roberto De Zerbi remained upbeat despite Tottenham conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Brighton at home.
After Leeds United’s win over Wolves on Saturday afternoon, Tottenham Hotspur could not afford to lose another game for the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion.
It felt like Spurs are finally going to end their 14-game winless run in the Premier League when Xavi Simons scored a sensational goal from outside the box in the 77th minute, after Pedro Porro’s header was cancelled out by substitute Kaoru Mitoma’s left-footed volley in the first half. However, Georginio Rutter’s stoppage-time dagger broke the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful’s hearts, denying the hosts a league win in 2026.
The result kept Tottenham in the bottom three, and they suffered another blow in their relegation battle on Sunday when Burnley capitulated against Nottingham Forest. This put a five-point gap between Spurs and Nottingham Forest, putting all the pressure on Roberto De Zerbi’s side to find a way out of the mess.
Roberto De Zerbi reveals the aspects Tottenham must work on after Brighton stalemate
De Zerbi has performed something of a miracle in making Tottenham watchable again. The 46-year-old has not made radical changes, and straightaway tried implementing his philosophy on the squad that is bereft of self-esteem and form.
Instead, he has made some interesting tactical tweaks, including giving Conor Gallagher a free role and bringing in Xavi Simons in the starting XI. The plan to pair Rodrigo Bentancur with Yves Bissouma in the double pivot also worked well against Brighton. Despite dropping points again to continue their winless run, De Zerbi is confident that his Spurs side can win all the remaining five games. However, for that to happen, he insists the team has to “improve a lot of things”.
“We have to improve a lot of things. The crucial part is to keep this mentality and I told the players to come on Monday afternoon with the same behaviour they showed today,” De Zerbi said in an interview with Sky Sports.
“I don’t want to work with sad people, with negative people. They have to believe in myself. If I am here, it’s because I am positive to stay in the Premier League next season.”
De Zerbi emphasised the need for togetherness, unity and mental fortitude as the club faces a difficult run-in against Wolves, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea, and Everton. He urged the boys to remain focused on the upcoming trip to Wolves, who were relegated following a 3-0 defeat to Leeds.
There were several positives to take from the Brighton draw for De Zerbi and his coaching staff. Going by Saturday’s performance, the Tottenham players look united and determined to stay up, rather than go down with a whimper. Senior players like Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario acted as cheerleaders when the Lilywhites conceded the goals against the Seagulls, demonstrating that everyone is together in this fight for survival.