Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has highlighted key areas that need improvement if his side is to turn their results around this season.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi will certainly be feeling a bit of pressure now after his slow start to the 2026-27 Premier League season.
Results have not gone Spurs’ way in all competitions thus far, as they find themselves 17th in the Premier League table and have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup.
The game against Aston Villa this weekend now gives Tottenham the opportunity to get their first win in the Premier League on the board as they look to kickstart their league campaign.
Roberto De Zerbi discusses Tottenham’s mentality and Premier League struggles
Speaking to football.london, the Tottenham boss has now opened up on whether he has seen an improvement in his players’ reactions following results, having previously spoken about the need for balance between not getting too high after a win or too low after a defeat.
De Zerbi pointed to his side’s reaction during their defeat to Liverpool, particularly after conceding the second goal, as evidence that he has seen the improvement he was looking for.
He said: “Yes, yes, yes for sure and you can show in the reaction we show and you can see after the second goal of Gakpo. We show a great reaction and deserve another goal. You can see the beginning of the Liverpool game, the first 10 to 15 minutes, we create two big, big chances to score. Yes, as a reaction I can’t say nothing.”
Tottenham are not only without a win, but are also yet to score in the Premier League this season, a record shared with Coventry.
However, the midweek encounter against Liverpool did see Spurs register a goal against a Premier League opponent, which should do their confidence a lot of good heading into the weekend match.
The Tottenham boss was also asked about the growing noise surrounding Spurs’ lack of wins and goals in the Premier League, and whether the feeling inside the club remains as calm as his own public demeanour.
He added: “I don’t know but what I understood is I think so. Any way I go forward with the players and I think it is not right to explain the reason why I think we didn’t start in the best way. There are many, many reasons but it is not the right place to explain. Just to take the responsibility, just to take the responsibility where we have to improve and nothing more.”
De Zerbi explains what Tottenham must improve
The Tottenham boss also highlighted defensive errors from the Liverpool defeat, including the goals scored by Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, before explaining that his side also created more chances and found greater attacking space against Andoni Iraola’s team.
Speaking about where Tottenham must improve, he said: “We have to improve in everything, because like I said, after the game we conceded the first goal in a bad way, because we knew what was the plan in the defensive phase. One long ball on Gakpo is not enough to concede a goal.
“Also the second goal could have closed Gakpo better and stronger, and the third goal is an individual skill of Szoboszlai.
“We can improve in the qualities of the play. I think we created more chances than the other games, also because Liverpool played with more courage.
“There was more space to attack, to make one-to-one, but I have experience enough to say that sometimes when you are the coach of the team, without you knowing the reason, you are able to score, you can score.
“And other times, another situation where I think you are playing well, not fantastic, but well enough to score, enough to win, and you don’t win. You have to stay calm, to be confident in what you are doing, what the players are doing.
“They have my full confidence. We move on and we keep going to be better day by day, but not by words, but by fact.”