It's safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur's match against Aston Villa tomorrow feels significant. Despite consistent match-by-match improvement, Tottenham still are without a win or a goal scored in Premier League play this season. Tomorrow, they host Aston Villa, one of the few clubs that has started worse than Spurs this season. Villa have just one point from their opening four matches, and this feels like a difficult match that could become a springboard to bigger and better things, should Spurs come away with a win. A loss or draw and Spurs will go into the upcoming international break knowing that there's still significant work yet to do to get off the mark in the league this season.
In his pre-match press conference, Roberto De Zerbi gave the good news that Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali, and James Maddison are all available for selection after either missing or coming in as a late substitute in Spurs' midweek EFL loss at Liverpool.
"[Pedro] Porro, Tonali, Maddison, all are available to play. Normally, we have to understand the situation in terms of physical condition, but all of them are ready.
"James [Maddison] is working with the team in the last 10, 15 days, maybe less than 15 days. And even if he's a technical player, he needs to be fit, to stay in a good condition. When he arrives to the best condition, it's very important for us as a personality, as a characteristic, as a quality, as an experience. The quality of his passes are different than the others. Maybe just Kudus, but Kudus also is not used to playing in the same (position as a number 10). We have to see.
"Mateus, he can play as a number 10, but he has to be more sure in the last decision, the shot and the pass. And also, Gallagher is a guarantee."
De Zerbi also suggested that the international break is not especially well-timed, because he'd like to have more time to work closely with all his players.
"We have to accept (the situation) and nothing more. I would work every day, but if we have to stop, we stop. Most important is the game of tomorrow. Tough game, but we have the qualities, the players to play well, because if we don't play well, we can't win. Or maybe one time per season, two times per season and stop.
De Zerbi was also asked about Dejan Kulusevski, who has not played football for more than a year after sustaining a significant patella injury. He's returned to full training but has still yet to be named to a bench, much less return to a match. De Zerbi insinuated that there's a chance Deki could regain enough fitness to potentially return after the international break.
"We have to manage Deki in the best way we can, with the medical staff, physical staff. But it's a great thing for us because he's a good player, he's a good guy. He deserves to play again. We have to work day by day. Also, for Deki, it's important the international break, because when he will be at the top of condition and pass over the injury, I think it's a great signing, a new signing for us, another new signing.
"[Deki] doesn't need my encouragement, because he's strong, he has a great character, and he's an example for everyone."
De Zerbi also spoke about the team's slow start to the season, and how the work is continuing to get this refreshed squad to gel.
"We have to improve in everything, because like I said, after the game we conceded the first goal in a bad way, because we knew what was the plan in the defensive phase. One long ball on Gakpo is not enough to concede a goal. Also the second goal could have closed Gakpo better and stronger, and the third goal is an individual skill of Szoboszlai.
"We can improve in the qualities of the play. I think we created more chances than the other games, also because Liverpool played with more courage. There was more space to attack, to make one-to-one, but I have experience enough to say that sometimes when you are the coach of the team, without you knowing the reason, you are able to score, you can score.
"And other times, another situation where I think you are playing well, not fantastic, but well enough to score, enough to win, and you don't win. You have to stay calm, to be confident in what you are doing, what the players are doing. They have my full confidence. We move on and we keep going to be better day by day, but not by words, but by fact."
Tottenham host Aston Villa on Saturday, September 19. Kick-off is 7:30 a.m. in the United States, 12:30 p.m. in the UK. The match will be televised on USA Network in the States, and TNT Sports 1 in the UK.