Tottenham’s poor start to the Premier League season worsened after a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa, and Roberto De Zerbi voiced doubts about his players’ mentality afterwards. He was clearly frustrated at watching his team throw away another promising position, and said Spurs are among the most fragile and inconsistent sides he has coached in 14 years.
The loss was Tottenham’s fifth league game without a win, which leaves them in the relegation zone. De Zerbi steered the club to safety last season, but his second year has begun badly. Spurs started well against Villa and created several chances, only to fade again as the game went on, adding to the pressure on the team.
Speaking to talkSPORT, De Zerbi said he struggles to understand why his team keeps losing control after strong starts. They can play very well for the first 30 or 40 minutes, he explained, then let opponents back into the match. He admitted he doesn’t have all the answers. He was pleased with the first half and the chances created, but felt they should have scored before conceding. He wants his players to stay closer together, be more compact, and show more resilience when momentum turns against them. He also wondered whether the team lost energy after Mohammed Kudus had an equaliser disallowed.
The defeat also raised questions about leadership and organisation. De Zerbi said communication among the players needs to improve and called on the team’s leaders to take more responsibility on the pitch. He said similar problems appeared in earlier games against Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton, and argued Spurs need stronger personalities to steady the side when things go wrong rather than letting each setback spiral.
Their inability to sustain good performances for a full 90 minutes has already cost them valuable points. With no league win yet and the club in the bottom three, De Zerbi and his staff must now find a fix before the situation becomes harder to recover from.
