Roberto De Zerbi has named the Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup to face Leeds United at Elland Road this afternoon.
Roberto De Zerbi has made just one change to the starting lineup ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Leeds United. Pedro Porro has replaced Dominic Solanke, shifting Archie Gray from right-back into midfield, while Luca Williams-Barnett has been named on the bench.
Omar Marmoush looks set to lead the frontline, with Mathys Tel on the left and Mohammed Kudus on the right. Micky van de Ven, who's joined by Jan Paul van Hecke again at centre-half, will lead the Lilywhites out at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon as they look to win four successive Premier League games for the first time since October 2023.
Speaking to reporters at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, De Zerbi provided an update on the development of Williams-Barnett, who didn't quite do enough to earn his first senior start. The 18-year-old winger made an excellent impression during a cameo off the bench in last weekend's win over Crystal Palace, creating a great chance for Kudus.
Unfortunately for Williams-Barnett, he was denied an assist on his Premier League debut. The Lilywhites boss said: "The next step, he has to enjoy; he has to follow the older players, the players with more experience, like Robertson, Maddison, Ben Davies.
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"To find the time to play is my responsibility, because when you manage so young players, so big talent like Luca is a bigger responsibility for me. He has to be ready when he goes on the pitch.
"And I think it depends on the result. He can play at the beginning. Before the Chelsea game, I thought to play with him in the first 11. But at the end, you have to find the right moment for them also."
De Zerbi continued: "I think the age is not so important. I don't believe in age. If you are young, you have to receive a gift from the coach. So, if you have big experience, it doesn't matter the age.
"The most important is the quality, the personality, the mood, the behaviour on the pitch, the qualities. Luca has all these qualities," added the Spurs gaffer. "The special talent, you recognise the special talent immediately.
"He doesn't need to show something special; you understand [it] in everything he does, and he's one of the special talents."
When asked what separates Omar Marmoush from Dominic Solanke as centre forwards, the Italian said: "Different style, different characteristics. Omar Marmoush attacks the space, can play as a 10, can play as a winger, maybe comes inside more than Mathys Tel.
"Dom is more of a striker. But both, they can play together. Both are good players. I would like them to improve their confidence, because I think the problem of these two players are not the qualities, are not the physical.
"Maybe, yes, the physical condition is not top yet, but the confidence can improve. And the confidence can improve if you want, for sure, with goals, with assistance from the team and from myself."
And on the midfield partnership of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, De Zerbi said: "To play well, I think Tonali has to run, to run to work on the pitch. Maybe with Mateus Fernandes in the last games, he improved a lot, the qualities of his performances.
"But also with Rodrigo [Bentancur] today, nothing changed because Rodrigo, as a characteristic, he's like Mateus in the last two games. I think Matheus is improving a lot. I think his showing is 50, 60 per cent, not more.
"His potential is bigger than the performances he's doing so far, but he's very young. Like I said one month ago, these young players, they need much time to come inside, to understand the new club, to understand the new style, the new coach, the new staff."
Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup to face Leeds United: Kinksy; Porro, Van de Ven (C), Van Hecke, Robertson; Tonali, Fernandes, Gray; Kudus, Marmoush, Tel.