MusaTottenham Hotspur’s troubled start to the new Premier League season took another painful turn on Saturday as Aston Villa condemned Roberto De Zerbi’s side to a 3-2 defeat.
The result leaves Spurs in the relegation zone after five league matches without a single victory, with De Zerbi openly questioning the mentality and resilience of his players.
Spurs suffer another damaging defeat
Tottenham appeared to be in control during the early stages against Villa, creating several promising opportunities and showing plenty of attacking intent.
However, once again, that positive start failed to translate into a result.
Spurs eventually surrendered their advantage and suffered another defeat, continuing a worrying pattern that has already seen them drop valuable points in their opening fixtures.
After helping Tottenham avoid relegation last season, De Zerbi has endured a dramatically different beginning to his second campaign in charge. The Italian now faces growing questions over why his team continues to struggle to maintain its performance for the full 90 minutes.
De Zerbi admits he has no answers
Speaking to talkSPORT after the final whistle, De Zerbi was particularly critical of Tottenham’s mentality and admitted he had struggled to understand why his team had once again fallen apart after a promising opening.
The Spurs boss described his team as remarkably fragile and inconsistent, arguing that they cannot afford to produce an impressive performance for 30 or 40 minutes before suddenly losing their structure.
De Zerbi said:
“It’s difficult to explain because, in my career, 14 years as a coach, I’ve never seen one team like us. So fragile, so inconsistent.”
He added that Tottenham had created opportunities during the first half but failed to capitalise before conceding.
The manager acknowledged that he does not have all the answers to Tottenham’s problems, but insisted the team must become more compact, remain closer together and show greater strength when matches become difficult.
Reflecting on the second half, De Zerbi also admitted he could not explain whether his players had lost energy after Kudus scored, leaving him with another defeat to analyse.
Tottenham need stronger leaders
One of the biggest concerns highlighted by the Villa defeat was Tottenham’s apparent lack of leadership when the momentum shifts against them.
De Zerbi suggested that communication between his players needs to improve and called for stronger personalities within the squad to take responsibility during difficult moments.
“Maybe the communication between the players [is the problem], maybe the leaders have to be stronger,” De Zerbi said.
“We need leaders to drive and lead the team.”
The Italian pointed out that similar problems had appeared in previous matches against Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton, suggesting that the issue is becoming a recurring feature rather than an isolated incident.
Tottenham now face the task of finding a solution quickly. Their habit of beginning matches positively before losing control has already proved costly, and De Zerbi will need his players to show greater consistency, organisation and leadership if Spurs are to turn their season around.
Musa
