Tottenham overcame Wolves 1-0 to earn crucial three points.
Roberto De Zerbi picked up his first win as Tottenham Hotspur head coach, as Spurs prevailed 1-0 over relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
It marks his maiden success after three weeks in charge for Roberto De Zerbi, who oversaw a defeat and a draw from his first couple of games. After tasting defeat at Sunderland, the Lilywhites were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by Brighton and Hove Albion at home last weekend. So, Spurs had to win this time around to keep their survival hopes alive, and they did.
Substitute Joao Palhinha scored the decisive goal in the 82nd minute against Wolves, handing Tottenham their first league win since December 28. Despite the win, Spurs stay third from bottom on 34 points, as results elsewhere went against them. West Ham secured a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Everton on the same day, keeping themselves above the drop zone and maintaining a two-point gap over Tottenham.
Roberto De Zerbi confident Tottenham will stay up after Wolves victory
De Zerbi was ecstatic after guiding his team to their first win, celebrating with the away fans at Molineux with fist pumps. The Italian feels that Tottenham’s 1-0 victory at Wolves “can change something in our mentality”. He is also confident about Spurs’ prospects of staying in the top-flight following Saturday’s result.
“I believe we will stay up,” De Zerbi said in his press conference (h/t Football London).
“If I stay here, it’s because I’m positive. Not because I’m a coach of Tottenham.
“It’s not important if you’re Tottenham on the pitch, the most important thing is the qualities of the players and the human levels of the players. It was a surprise to me. When I got to know them.
“It’s just two points, not 10 points. West Ham are a good team, but so are Tottenham. When you watch on TV, you can’t tell if they have the right spirit and the right attitude. Now I’ve worked with them every day, and they are professional, good guys, and they are suffering from this situation.
“I just need to give them order because I didn’t like the second half. We need to play more like the first 30 minutes, creating more chances and more shots on goal.”
Tottenham still believe!
De Zerbi was honest in his assessment of Tottenham’s performance against Wolves. He was happy with his team’s performance in the opening 30 minutes, where the North Londoners played on the front foot, passed quickly and showed intent. The midfielders and forwards linked up well and caused problems for the hosts.
The intensity dropped after 30 minutes, which allowed Wolves to get some control in the game. From there on, it became an open contest, and with Tottenham suffering two big injury blows in the form of Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons, it became even more difficult for them to wrestle back control. Fortunately, Palhinha was at the right place and right time to bundle home the winner and send the away fans into delirium.
By clinching crucial three points from a tricky game, Tottenham still believe they can stay with the big boys. Saturday’s result will boost the players’ confidence and energy levels to fight against Aston Villa at Villa Park next week.