Tottenham Hotspur’s poor start to the season showed no signs of easing as Aston Villa eased to a 3-2 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, a result that left Spurs bottom of the table despite spending more than £300m in the summer.
Spurs showed positive signs in the first half, with goals from John Manzambi, Nicholas Jackson and Emiliano Buendia turning the game around, with late goals from Connor Gallagher and Jan-Paul van Herk ultimately proving too little, too late for the home side.
It was their worst start to the Premier League since 2008-09 and Roberto De Zerbi made no attempt to sugarcoat it afterwards.
“Today I am very disappointed, sad, frustrated with my performance because we absolutely cannot lose this game in this way,” said the Italian. “We can’t concede a second goal. We can’t lose our balance because we lost in the first half.
Unai Emery now has more league wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than Spurs’ last three managers combined.
“At the start of the second half, I spoke to the four attacking players and told them to use their heads, be calm. That was the 51st minute. The whole second half was calm, play, enjoy, don’t take risks. We opened up space or were more focused when we got into the final third, but the goal we conceded, the second goal, was unbelievable.”
With the international break looming, De Zerbi admitted the timing might actually work in his favour.
“Maybe it’s better this way. I didn’t speak to the players today because I didn’t want to say anything,” he admitted. “No, I have nothing to do with them, but the players who go with the national team, they have to play and work. The other players, Madison Gallagher, Solanke, Tosin, Senesi, Savio, of course we have to work more because of the physical conditions and I don’t even like this game.”
One of the issues Spurs will be keen to address in the coming weeks is the ongoing saga surrounding Richarlison. The Brazilian has been snubbed by the club, with De Zerbi previously confirming he would not feature again even if he was available, having previously failed in his attempts to move to Trabzonspor and Vasco da Gama.
How much does a Tottenham Hotspur forward earn? | ||
|---|---|---|
player | weekly salary | contract expires |
Omar Mamouch | £250,000 | June 30, 2027 |
Harvey Simmons | £195,000 | June 30, 2030 |
muhammad jerusalem | £150,000 | June 30, 2031 |
Dominic Solanke | £140,000 | June 30, 2030 |
Savio | £120,000 | June 30, 2031 |
Dejan Kulusevski | £110,000 | June 30, 2028 |
Michelo Mudrick | £100,000 | June 30, 2027 |
Richarlison | £90,000 | June 30, 2027 |
Matisse phone | £55,000 | June 30, 2031 |
wilson odobert | £40,000 | June 30, 2029 |
Alasdair Gold Share Richarlison Sign out of updates
Alasdair Gold Providing an update on the striker’s future, it was revealed that the Emirates are interested in the striker but Richarlison does not want to make a move at the moment.
With the transfer window in the Gulf nation closing next Monday and his contract expiring in 2027, Tottenham have just seven days to finalize a deal or lose their last chance to recoup a substantial transfer fee for the 29-year-old.
“The situation with Richarlison is getting more confusing every day. I think the transfer window is still open in the Emirates and I understand that one of the clubs there, Shabab AlAhli, has made inquiries about the financial requirements of any potential deal but has not made a formal offer for him.
“Those close to Richarlison – I’ve been speaking to various people around him – there are questions from all sides as to whether a move to that league would be attractive to him now.
“That’s what I was told, but who knows? Who knows how convincing it would have been if someone had made an offer, but from what I’ve heard, I don’t think it piqued his interest. “
It’s difficult to understand what Richarlison really wants at the moment, with the former Everton man seemingly determined to leave north London, but only on his terms.
He’s not the only attacker currently in trouble. Matthijs Telle was not included in the squad against Villa after an on-field altercation with De Zerbi against Everton.
When asked directly about the decision to exclude the Frenchman, De Zerbi explained: “The technical decision (he) was made in the stands because I think during the game, Maddison and Kudus had more opportunities to change the game.
“Then two centre-backs, very important. And two full-backs. Look at Pedro Polo and the two midfielders. Yesterday I explained why to Matisse. He is very good, he understands the reasons, but that’s it. Also, he plays more than others.”
With Richarlison fading out and Ter now appearing to have fallen out of favor, De Zerbi’s attacking options looked increasingly lackluster at half-time.