Tottenham not relegated yet, says Roberto De Zerbi amid fightback
What's the story
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has issued a passionate rallying cry amid the club's fight against relegation. Despite their first Premier League win of 2026 last weekend at Wolves, Spurs are still two points away from safety. The task has been made tougher by injuries to key players Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke. Here's what the Italian manager said in his pre-match presser on Friday.
Reassurance
We are crying, not yet: De Zerbi
Ahead of a crucial match against Aston Villa, De Zerbi has dismissed fears of relegation. He said, "I watched you on TV, but it is not a polemic. I heard, 'It is impossible [to stay up].' We are crying, everyone [saying], 'We are relegated.' Not yet." The Italian manager stressed the need to fight until the end and not give in to negativity. "Before losing the game, we have to play and we have to fight," he added.
Positivity
Need to silence the negative voices
De Zerbi stressed the need to silence negative voices within the team and among fans. He said, "This voice produces negative thoughts and it says we are unlucky, we have too many injuries." The Spurs boss also defended his medical staff and insisted that despite their struggles in 2026, they have the quality to win games. "If Tottenham win at Villa Park it is not a miracle," he said.
Squad strength
De Zerbi confident of his team's quality
De Zerbi also highlighted the depth of his squad in the absence of injured players. He said, "If Solanke and Simons are injured we can play with [Randal] Kolo Muani, [Mathys] Tel, Richarlison and they are not worse players. They are different with characteristics but very good players." The Spurs boss remains optimistic about his team's chances despite the current challenges. "We have Pedro Porro, [Destiny] Udogie, Micky van de ven, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, [Joao] Palhinha, [Conor] Gallagher." he said while listing his key players.
Information
Spurs are 18th in the Premier League
From 34 matches, Tottenham have 34 points. They picked up their 8th win of the season by beating Wolves in Matchweek 34. West Ham United's 2-1 win over Everton means they are 17th with 36 points. They are two points above Tottenham.