Roberto De Zerbi said he was proud after Tottenham beat Aston Villa, but urged people not to forget how precarious the club’s situation was just weeks earlier.
After losing to Sunderland in his first game on April 12 and drawing 2-2 with former club Brighton six days later, Spurs sat 18th in the Premier League before the trip to Wolves on April 25 — two points from safety. Since then, wins over the division’s bottom side and then Champions League-chasing Villa have given Tottenham back-to-back league victories for the first time since the opening two games of the season, and moved them above West Ham into 17th with three matches remaining.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game at Villa Park, De Zerbi said the team matched up well against a strong Villa side. “We played against Aston Villa and Aston Villa is a very good team, with a lot of very good players and a great manager, but we played very well for 60 minutes, with the ball, without the ball,” he said. “We could have scored more goals, especially in the first half, but I’m pleased for this performance from my players. I know how much they suffered this season and for that I’m very proud. The only bad thing on the pitch was the goal we conceded.”
De Zerbi stressed the season is not over and warned that Tottenham must remember their recent struggles. “It’s not finished yet, the season. We have to play another three games, very tough games, starting [next] Monday night, with Leeds. Leeds are playing very well. They deserve to stay in this position in the table,” he said. “We can’t forget what the situation was before Wolverhampton – and before that it was a very sad situation. These memories have to stay in our head every day, especially this week after this win.”
He highlighted the team’s high press and possession as positives. “The high pressure, for sure, because the high pressure is a mentality,” De Zerbi added. “Then the possession because we played very, very well, with calm. When we had to attack the space or to go to shoot, we did. When we had to keep the ball, we did. I love playing football. Especially if you have these players in the squad, my job is to help them, to put them in the right condition to play, to show what they are capable of doing.”
De Zerbi singled out Conor Gallagher as man of the match. “When Conor Gallagher played well, we played with 12 players,” he said. “He’s an amazing player. Today also, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel, they played a fantastic game. Joao Palhinha and [Rodrigo] Bentancur were incredible. The two centre-backs, with the ball and without the ball. I’m very pleased.”
Gallagher, speaking to TNT Sports, described the result as “a fantastic performance. Exactly what we needed.” He said the team showed during the game what they had worked on in training and hoped the win was the start of a run. “It’s been a perfect night, but hopefully it’s only the start. We want to carry it on for the last few games of the season. It’s massive for us and hopefully our confidence can start growing and we can keep playing games like that.”
On De Zerbi, Gallagher added: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. He’s been so good. Every player in the squad has taken to him, everyone trusts him, he makes you feel good, confident, he’s bringing the best out of players and it’s only the start. Hopefully we can keep learning from him and build a great team.”
How do the run-ins compare?
Leeds’ remaining fixtures
– Tottenham (A)
– Brighton (H)
– West Ham (A)
Nottingham Forest’s remaining fixtures
– Chelsea (A)
– Newcastle (H)
– Man Utd (A)
– Bournemouth (H)
Tottenham’s remaining fixtures
– Leeds (H)
– Chelsea (A)
– Everton (H)
West Ham’s remaining fixtures
– Arsenal (H)
– Newcastle (A)
– Leeds (H)