It is not lost on Roberto De Zerbi just how huge an occasion Sunday is as Tottenham go into their final game of the season with their Premier League status still on the line.
After seeing Newcastle hand West Ham a huge blow last Sunday, Tottenham had a huge opportunity to secure their safety at Stamford Bridge.
However, they failed to take that opportunity, with Chelsea running out 2-1 winners and ensuring that the battle for survival goes right down to the wire.
Spurs fans will certainly be getting increasingly nervous as the game approaches, and their head coach has now issued a rallying cry ahead of the huge clash.
Roberto De Zerbi says Tottenham’s clash against Everton is the real final
12 months ago, a generation of Spurs fans saw their club win silverware for the first time as the Lilywhites overcame Man United in Bilbao to lift the Europa League title.
It was the club’s first piece of silverware for 17 years, but De Zerbi has insisted that the game against Everton means more for Tottenham, with the club’s pride and dignity on the line.
The Italian told Football.London: “Sunday is the final for Tottenham, not Bilbao against Man Utd. The most important game is Sunday, because last season they played for the trophy, now we play for something more important than the trophy.
“Because the pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy. The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life.
“You can have one trophy more, but the most important is to keep the dignity, to keep the pride, to go on holiday like this [head up], and not like this [head down].”
De Zerbi wants Spurs to carry on from where they left off at Chelsea
The Tottenham boss insisted that he was pleased with his side’s overall showing at the Bridge, despite being on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline.
De Zerbi praised the passion and energy that his players showed in the final 20 minutes of the clash against Chelsea, and wants to see that from the start against the Toffees.
When asked what he thought of his side’s performance in West London, the Tottenham boss responded: “I think we played a good game, we could score at the beginning of the game with Mathys Tel. We conceded a goal, a great goal of Enzo Fernandes, but I think we could do something better, especially in the second ball, long ball, Udogie. And before to concede the second goal, we could score with Richarlison with a big chance.
“Anyway, I think we played well. I would like if we play Sunday like the last 20 minutes, because in the last 20 minutes we showed, I think, more energy, more passion, something more inside of us. But it’s difficult, it’s an opportunity for everyone of us, because through this period, these games, these days, we can become better as a coach, as a player.
“If we stay strong until the end, because when you fight for the relegation, you have to stay inside of the Premier League until the last minute of the last game of the season.”