Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he noticed something unique about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the club’s 2-2 draw against Brighton last month.
De Zerbi will lead Spurs out at their home ground for just the second time this evening as Leeds visit North London.
His side has a golden opportunity to give themselves some breathing space in the battle for survival by moving four points clear of West Ham, who fell to a 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
However, Tottenham’s home and away record has been extremely contrasting this season, with the Lilywhites having been one of the best teams on the road and one of the worst at home.
Roberto De Zerbi says Tottenham are lucky to have the stadium they do
Some pundits have suggested this season that Spurs’ poor home form is due to the players being unable to cope with the expectation of the fans.
However, De Zerbi has dismissed that claim, insisting that, unlike other big stadiums in England, the players and the staff are able to feel the electricity on the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
When asked if the atmosphere at their ground might be part of the problem, the Italian said (via The Independent): “No, because there are a lot of big stadiums and very nice stadiums, like theatres in the Premier League.
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“Tottenham’s stadium is hot. When I was in this stadium with Brighton, in the bench of Brighton, or against Brighton two weeks ago, the stadium was very, very hot. And for us, we are lucky to play in this stadium.
“The atmosphere against Brighton was amazing. The bottom of the (table), 60,000 fans to support you, to push you, to stay before the game, during the game, after the game, we have been very close with the (fans) and I think it’s luck for us.”
De Zerbi says that Spurs’ poor home form this season is a mere coincidence
The fact remains that Tottenham have only won two games at home all season, and their last win at N17 came more than five months ago against Brentford.
However, De Zerbi insisted that the record is merely a coincidence, pointing out that the Lilywhites have won Champions League matches at home in that time.
When asked about Tottenham’s abject results at home since December, the 46-year-old said: “I think it was a coincidence, because against Atletico Madrid, they won at home. Against Borussia Dortmund in January, they won at home.
“If you ask me against Brighton? We won, but we didn’t take three points. We took one point, but we won in my head as a performance and if we analyse the game against Brighton, it’s like a win. I think it’s a mistake if we keep the focus on this (poor home form) part.”