De Zerbi has refused to lay blame on Tonali despite the midfielder's difficult start to life in North London. The Italian international, who became Spurs' first-ever nine-figure signing this summer, was at the centre of a storm during the 2-0 loss to Newcastle. After being rested for the midweek cup victory over Charlton to improve his physical conditioning, Tonali looked off the pace and was partially responsible for Anthony Elanga’s opening goal before being withdrawn in the 75th minute to cheers from the visiting supporters.
Despite the scrutiny, De Zerbi was adamant in his support for the player. "No, I love Sandro Tonali," De Zerbi said following the match. "Today is the day where my emotion for my players is bigger than the other days because we are building together the club, Vinai (Venkatesham), Johan Lange, the owners, me and they (the players) are like our children. So, this day is so sad. We are all of us very disappointed for the result, but I love my players more today than the next win we will make. I believe more than the Brentford game of our project, I believe in our players."
The mystery surrounding Tonali’s fitness continues to linger, especially given he featured in pre-season friendlies against Chelsea, Getafe, and Hoffenheim. De Zerbi acknowledged that the former AC Milan and Newcastle man is not yet operating at his peak level but insisted he remains a cornerstone of the new-look Spurs side. The manager is currently balancing the integration of several key figures who returned late to the squad following international commitments and injury layoffs, adding another layer of complexity to his early tactical setup.
"I think (Omar) Marmoush for the first game played very well," De Zerbi explained. "It was the first game for Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, they came late and they are crucial for this team, after the World Cup, after two injuries. Sandro Tonali is another crucial player. He is not in the right condition, in the best condition yet, maybe physically."
Beyond the individual struggles of Tonali, De Zerbi is facing a systemic issue regarding how his team reacts to adversity. Tottenham have now lost every game in which they have conceded the first goal under the Italian’s short tenure, a trend that predates his arrival. The statistic is damning; one has to go back nearly two years to November 2024 to find the last time Spurs conceded first in the Premier League and went on to win the match. This psychological fragility was evident as soon as Newcastle took the lead through Elanga.
De Zerbi was brutally honest about the lack of resilience shown by his squad. "After the goal we conceded, I think we lost the confidence. The reaction was not good enough," he admitted. "Not the reaction I want to see on the pitch and I said immediately after the end of the game, to the players, because when you are building something new, it’s tough, there are problems."
The pressure is already mounting on the Spurs boss after two consecutive defeats to start the new Premier League campaign. With a significant financial outlay over the summer, the expectation is for immediate improvement, yet De Zerbi has warned that cultural changes within a club cannot be bought. The manager is clearly focused on the long-term project, viewing his players as part of a family unit that needs protection during these early growing pains, even as the £100m price tag on Tonali invites constant external evaluation. "You can’t buy winning mentality in the transfer market," De Zerbi noted, highlighting the intangible qualities he feels are currently missing from the dressing room.