Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi launched a passionate rallying cry in the club’s fight to avoid the drop, declaring “we’re not relegated yet” and wants an end to “negative” voices around Spurs.
Despite earning their first Premier League win of 2026 last weekend at Wolves, Spurs remain two points from safety and their task to beat the drop has been made even more challenging following injuries to Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke.
But ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa, where Spurs could find themselves five points adrift of West Ham if they win at Brentford on Saturday, De Zerbi has no time for negativity.
Responding to Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge’s question, the Italian 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.
“We have to die on the pitch and to die on the pitch we have to lose the game. Before losing the game, we have to play and we have to fight.
“We have two points less than West Ham and they have to play a difficult game as well.
“It is not the best moment for us; it is a tough and difficult moment.
“But the losers cry, the losers think negative. I don’t want people close to me to be crying or think in a different way from me.”
He added: “The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us. Inside of the players, the staff and the fans.
“This voice produces negative thoughts and it says we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons, he was in the last two games one of our best and most important players.
“Our medical staff not good enough, the pitch of the stadium and the training ground is not good, it is impossible winning two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026.
“I think these are all negative things and it’s rubbish because I want to keep my focus on ourselves and the quality of my players.
“We go to play against one of the best teams at the moment in the Premier League. I have big respect for [Unai] Emery as a coach but if Tottenham win at Villa Park it is not a miracle.
“Maybe we lose but we have the quality to win this game and it is not a miracle.
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Tim Sherwood admits he is ‘deflated’ despite Spurs’ win at Wolves in their fight to avoid relegation
“We have to be positive and [feel] lucky because we are working in a big club.
“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.
“We have Pedro Porro, [Destiny] Udogie, Micky van de Ven, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, [Joao] Palhinha, [Conor] Gallagher.
“For that all these things I don’t have enough time to hear this or listen to these things.”
Sky Sports News reporter lifts lids on De Zerbi exchange!
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Michael Bridge gives his view on the exchange he had with Roberto De Zerbi, after the Spurs boss claimed he had been ‘watching’ him
Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge:
“I was wondering if De Zerbi was going to say something to me because he was giving me one of those looks.
“I was about to ask, ‘What a great win for Spurs, but it came at a huge cost with the injuries to Simons and Solanke and did they put a cloud over a much-needed win?’ So I was leading to that question, but then De Zerbi said he watched me!
“I think he was referring to me on Monday with Tim Sherwood and Tom White on Sky Sports News’ Fan Club, reading over an injury graphic.
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Tim Sherwood feels Spurs need to review why so many players are getting injured as it could cost them a place in the Premier League
“The graphic was not good because there are so many injuries! These are not one or two-week injuries; these are long-term absentees like Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Cristian Romero and now Simons.
“When De Zerbi first joined, he said to me he wanted to count on Kudus, but then he picked up a quad injury. He wanted to count on Romero, but then he got a serious injury at Sunderland. He wanted to count on Simons, but then he got a serious injury at Wolves.
“So the point I was making on Monday is that he’s been so unlucky with these serious injuries, and could it derail Tottenham’s chances of staying in the Premier League?
“But he doesn’t want any negativity, and he’s getting on with it, so my message back to him is ‘You’re absolutely right, fair play’.”
PL Predictions: Spurs to get hammered at Villa
Sky Sports’ tipster Lewis Jones:
If it looks like relegation season, smells like a relegation season, quacks like a relegation season then it’s probably a relegation season.
The footballing gods have made up their mind on Spurs it seems. That line of thinking was rubberstamped despite the 1-0 win at Wolves where they didn’t play well.
That West Ham injury-time winner was a cruel one and yet more injuries to key players in Xavi Simons, their only real creative player in form, and Dominic Solanke is making an already tough task even more difficult for Roberto De Zerbi.
But there is one place that still believes in this Tottenham team: the betting markets. And this really is great news as we can back Aston Villa at a staggering price at odds against of 21/20 with Sky Bet for the win.
The market has got too carried away by Spurs’ need for the win and have glossed over the key factor in that they are an inferior team in every department.
Aston Villa at home under Unai Emery are so difficult to beat – this is a team that has beaten Man City, Arsenal and Man Utd at Villa Park this season. Beating Spurs should be a doddle.
