De Zerbi Expresses Confidence in Tottenham’s Survival Prospects
Roberto De Zerbi, the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, has expressed his belief that the team can avoid relegation after securing their first Premier League win of 2026. The victory came against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Joao Palhinha scoring the only goal of the match.
“I believe we can stay up,” said De Zerbi following the win. “It is not 10 points; we are two points behind West Ham, who are a good team, but we are also a very good team. The most important things are the qualities of the players and their human levels, which surprised me because I didn’t know them initially. But when I got to know them better, I realized we have a chance to stay up.”
De Zerbi emphasized the importance of the players’ spirit and attitude, which he feels cannot be fully understood from watching games on television. “I work with them every day, and they are all professional, good guys who are suffering in this situation.”
Despite the positive result, De Zerbi was not entirely satisfied with the performance at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He felt that the long winless run had affected the team’s confidence, especially during the second half of the game when they failed to capitalize on a strong start.
He also raised concerns about injuries to key players Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke. “Solanke has a muscle injury, which isn’t a big problem,” De Zerbi explained. “I don’t know how many games we will lose him, but I would like to know more about Xavi because the knee is always different. We will see on Monday or Tuesday. When I spoke with him, he said it feels better than it did at the beginning of the injury. I wouldn’t like to lose any more players. We can win the games, but not with the coaches, but with the players.”
Despite these challenges, De Zerbi was delighted with the result and the spirit of his team, particularly highlighting the performance of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. Kinsky made a brilliant late save to protect the win, just a month after a humiliating substitution at Atletico Madrid.
“Good guy and good keeper. Especially after Madrid, he deserves a day like today,” said De Zerbi. “I am happy for the result. The first 35 minutes we played well. Maybe we could create more chances and shots on goal. I didn’t like the second half at all. We could play better. We have to play better.”
De Zerbi also acknowledged the difficulty of the team’s position, noting that they hadn’t won a game in 2026. However, he pointed out that their performance in the Champions League, finishing fifth, was not easier than the Premier League. “They have to be positive. They have to feel full confidence because they are good players.”
With four games remaining, Tottenham are two points behind West Ham, but have a healthier goal difference. Their upcoming fixtures include a trip to Aston Villa, followed by home games against Leeds and Everton, with a match against Chelsea in between.
Goal hero Joao Palhinha shared his thoughts on the victory, calling it a crucial moment for the team. “Four finals,” he said. “We need to do our jobs. Hopefully, this win can change things. This victory is much more than that for me, the fans, and the whole club. It’s not a normal season that we’ve been living until today. We all have responsibility in this season.”
Palhinha added, “What we can control right now is doing our job until the end of the season and keeping the club where it belongs, which is the Premier League. We will give everything we have until the end of the season because it means a lot for us to stay in the Premier League.”
