Hotspur HQ

Tottenham Hotspur were unable to hire Mauricio Pochettino in March when they canned Igor Tudor shortly after hiring him to replace Thomas Frank, as Spurs needed a top manager immediately to save them from relegation. Although the fans badly wanted Poch, because he is currently managing the United States men's national team before the 2026 World Cup - in North America, no less - he was unable to move and the USMNT were obviously not going to let him double dip with so much (financially, included) on the line.

So Spurs went out and hired Roberto De Zerbi to both be an important short and long term upgrade at the club, and, so far, the Italian manager has paid major dividends with Spurs now needing just one point in their next two games against Chelsea or Everton to save themselves from Premier League relegation - and doom another historic London club, rivals West Ham United, to the EFL Championship instead.

But Pochettino is always loved around these parts, and in a recent interview with Tom Allnut of The Times, his former superstar center back Toby Alderweireld predicted that Poch will one day manage Tottenham Hotspur again.

Tottenham chose De Zerbi now over waiting for Pochettino

The legendary fiery Belgian defender said of the best modern Tottenham manager, “For sure he will go back to Tottenham one day. He wants it, the fans want it — I don’t know the board — but I think when the manager and the fans want it, it will happen. He wants to come back to finish his job.”

There is nothing bold about this prediction from Toby Alderweireld, especially since Mauricio Pochettino has always publicly praised Tottenham and spoken fondly about the club, including his desire to one day come back and coach them. He seemed almost solemn when he learned that the window had shut after Spurs had to hire Roberto De Zerbi instead, though it appears Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange had the controversial Italian manager ranked No. 1 on their short list all along anyway.

Spurs fans will actually hope the Pochettino reunion talk doesn't start up again too soon, because they would like to see De Zerbi actually be a positive for them and stick around at a club for more than just one or two full seasons at a time. The early returns on RDZ are good, but you always do get the feeling, like Alderweireld does, that Pochettino is going to come home again one day.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Mathys Tel scored a beauty against Leeds United last week on Monday Night Football, but the Lilywhites 1-0 lead in the Premier League relegation fight was short lived. Because Tel himself made a couple of horrible errors, including conceding the penalty that led the Peacocks to draw it up 1-1, leaving Spurs with the feeling of two points lost rather than a point gained in the fight to stay alive in the English top flight.

Sadly, there were predictably disgusting reactions towards Tel from people who really should not be referred to as Tottenham fans, because no racist belongs at the club. Roberto De Zerbi immediately came to the young man's defense and praised him. Although De Zerbi didn't start Tel from the out set, even at that time, he made it clear he had high hopes for the former Bayern Munich forward, and now that he is in the starting lineup again, De Zerbi is continuing to back him.

Tel is the only healthy true winger for Tottenham, and he is by far the best forward on a front line that has been abysmal, even under De Zerbi with all the other units in the team improving markedly as Spurs sit just one point away from confirming their place in the Premier League next season.

Mathys Tel is a future gem for Tottenham

Ahead of a must draw game against rivals Chelsea, Roberto De Zerbi continued to speak highly of Mathys Tel, and he remains optimistic that the 21 year old left winger and striker is going to be a wonderful footballer for Tottenham Hotspur in the future.

De Zerbi told reporters at the press conference before Tottenham vs. Chelsea, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "Great reaction. Very mature guy, maybe more so outside the pitch than on it because he hasn't played that many games. He's a lovely guy, strong character and in the future he can play better and better and become a great player for us."

Despite the big mistakes he had against Leeds United, Mathys Tel is still an expected starter for Tottenham Hotspur in this vital rivalry clash on the road against Chelsea, in large part because he is the best option of the forwards.

Tel brings excitement, energy, hard work, goals, and quality that is missing from the Spurs attack. De Zerbi is wonderfully right to stand by Tel, and his abiilty to back his players and say the right things at press conferences has been hugely uplifting compard to his predecessors. Tel has everything to be a great player at Tottenham indeed.

Tottenham Hotspur will battle Chelsea on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge with Premier League survival still very much on the line for the Lilywhites. After watching Newcastle United smack down rivals West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday, all Spurs need to stay up in the English top flight for next season is a solitary point against an even bigger rival that smacked them down 1-0 earlier this season (and the deficit shoudl have been even worse, based on how poorly Thomas Frank had them playing).

But it is a new era for Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi, as the former Brighton manager has Spurs on an undefeated streak, rather than the winless streak they were previously on. Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur are men reborn under De Zerbi, and even crucial stars like Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven are performing significantly better.

On Tuesday night against Chelsea, though, the real X-Factor may not actually be the revenge game from Gallagher or even the potential return of James Maddison to the starting XI, as the No. 10 is likely another game away from being able to go longer in a match.

Tottenham need steel in midfield

No, the X-Factor could be another new face who is doing a lot better under Roberto De Zerbi, Joao Palhinha. Though the Portuguese international on loan from Bayern Munich has scored some important goals for Tottenham Hotspur this season and has shown up on the ball better than expected lately under De Zerbi, we all know his calling card is on the defensive end.

Against a Chelsea midfield of Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, and Enzo Fernandez, the steel Palhinha brings, his energy as a ball winner, and his ability to improve positionally in his reading of the game and progression under Roberto De Zerbi lately are all going to be crucial to Spurs getting a hard earned point on the road against one of the Premier League's more talented squads (even if they haven't shown that quality lately).

With Liam Rosenior out the door and Xabi Alonso soon to follow, Chelsea are more dangerous, and Tottenham need a defensive bulldog to quell that danger by snapping into tackles but also avoiding any major holes on the counter.

It is all on the line for Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge when the Lilywhites take on the Blues in the second to last game of this nightmare of a 2025/26 Premier League season. But after West Ham United lost 3-1 behind a brace from young Newcastle United breakout star William Osula, the stage is set for Spurs to stay up in the Premier League offiically by getting a mere point from their bitter London rivals.

Earlier this season, Spurs lost 1-0 to Chelsea, but they played so poorly under Thomas Frank that the score line may as well have been 10-0. So Tottenham have a lot of work to do, even against a wounded Chelsea, though the Blue are more dangerous from an emotional stand point after confirming the hire of one of the best young managers in the world, Xabi Alonso.

Tottenham need to get better at scoring goals, because even though Roberto De Zerbi has turned around a lot at this club, most of those positives are in the midfield and the defense. Up top, he can't turn water into wine and get the forwards to play markedly better, including failed loan signing Randal Kolo Muani.

Dominic Solanke is still out injured

Unfortunately for De Zerbi, he will still be down one key forward in Dominic Solanke, the main starter in the central No. 9 position. Solanke has been out with a hamstring injury these last few weeks, and the Italian manager confirmed that his striker is still not ready to return against Chelsea.

De Zerbi told reporters at the press conference before Tottenham vs. Chelsea, via Tom Barclay of The Sun, Solanke is not good yet. He’s not available. He feels something. I don’t want to take risk for this game. We hope for Sunday, maybe for Sunday, he can be available for one part of the game."

The positive is that Tottenham Hotspur could have Dominic Solanke available on Sunday for Matchday 38 of the 2025/26 Premier League season against Everton, who are another tough opponent to get a point out of in the relegation fight.

Solanke has not been in his best moment this season with a myriad of injuries, and his worst displays, even under Roberto De Zerbi, have come in the relegation battle. But even in his first season at Tottenham as a blockbuster signing from Bournemouth, he showed a huge clutch factor with goals in the box and all around play en route to the Europa League Final. So while he has been running cold, Solanke is still a big miss in these important games.

When it comes to reunions, there is no player Tottenham Hotspur supporters would love back at the club more than the best current footballer on the planet for the 2025/26 season, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. And though there was an opening for a return that was reported in the media earlier this season, that door is closed with Kane intent on staying in Bayern for the foreseeable future, fitting the club perfectly as he wins trophies - and Spurs fans can only be happy for him after all he has given.

But another Tottenham legend from their best years in the 2010s is interested in returning to N17 in 2026. No, it isn't Son Heung-min or any other great player currently still producing big numbers at another club, but it is actually former star center back Toby Alderweireld.

The Belgian was one of the best and most underrated defenders of the previous decade, forming one of the greatest central defensive duos in Tottenham Hotspur history with countryman Jan Verthonghen. Alderweireld was legitimately one of the best center backs in the world with elite ball playing ability, speed, strength, toughness, and overall athleticism. He read the game brilliantly, led by example, and was legit the total package.

Nobody would say no to Toby Alderweireld

Well, in a recent interview with The Times, Toby Alderweireld sent a clear message to Tottenham. He wants to return to the club and help them out in a more strategic role behind the scenes. He said, "If they need help, I'm there. I think the other guys would feel the same."

That is a simple, beautiful message and an offer that Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham need to take the former star center back up on. Tottenham feel like they have lost direction without Daniel Levy, but obviously even when the former Chairman was around at N17, Spurs had serious issues with building a competitive squad - let alone wanting to build one.

Alderweireld knows what it takes to win, including at Tottenham, and he bleeds White for this club. He loves this club in ways that it feels like a lot of the people currently at Spurs - and maybe especially the guys in charge, Land and Vinai - simply do not. Spurs are losing their identity and crumbling, but with Roberto De Zerbi in charge, there is hope. Bringing in the beloved 37 year old back to the club to help and eventually developing him into a future executive would be a great move.

Tottenham Hotspur are merely one point away from safety in the Premier League, which seemed like an exceedingly difficult feat a couple of months ago when Igor Tudor was in charge and Spurs had just been shellacked by another relegation threatened side 3-0 in Nottingham Forest.

But in just a matter of weeks, new manager Roberto De Zerbi has been able to turn things around at Spurs, changing the mentality of the players and getting the likes of MIcky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, and otheres to believe in themselves again. He's gotten the most out of veteran midfielders Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha, and Rodrigo Bentancur, turning them from liabilities into the players driving Spurs to safety.

The most impressive player on the team, however, has been young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, and Spurs supporters have been impressed - and likely his teammates inspired - by the way the Czech shot stopper rebounded from slipping all over the pitch in the loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Antonin Kinsky needs to be the No. 1

Kinsky has been stellar, looking like a massive upgrade on Guglielmo Vicario, and Spurs supporters don't want to see the Serie A bound Italian goalkeeper back in between the sticks. Vicario's horrible mistakes played a huge role in Spurs falling into the relegation battle, whereas Kinsky is helping them get out of it.

Yet Roberto De Zerbi keeps referring to Vicario as his No. 1 in press conferences. Heading into the massive rivalry tilt against Chelsea, the Tottenham Hotspur manager has Spurs supporters nervous about the goalkeeping situation after calling the decision "easy" and then saying Vic is his 1.

De Zerbi said, via The Spurs Express, “No, it is not difficult. It is easy. Vicario is number one but we have to consider the physical condition, the momentum and everything. I have a big relationship with Kinsky and Vicario as well and there will be no problem.”

Tottenham fans are going to hold onto the last part of the quote for reassurance that Roberto De Zerbi is not going to steer them wrong in goal. He has a proclivity towards the veteran players, and while picking Rodrigo Bentancur over Archie Gray was controversial, it paid off. So even if De Zerbi goes for Guglielmo Vicario, who was once a great goalkeeper and should be better after finally getting hernia surgery, it's not the end of the world and RDZ has earned the benefit of the doubt so far.

Although Cristian Romero is one of the many stars on Tottenham Hotspur who has been injured for the remainder of the season and unable to contribute to the Premier League relegation battle directly, the Argentinian international has still made an important gesture to his club.

There has been a narrative that a lot of the stars on Spurs simply didn't care about the club's plight and were perfectly willing to watch the team get relegated while they up and left for bigger clubs in the summer. And no two players were accused of this more by the Tottenham fan base than starting center backs Micky van de Ven and Romero.

To be blunt, the Spurs faithful were not at all wrong for fearing these things about Romero and Van de Ven and making these assertions. Romero and Van de Ven were making basic errors, poor tackles, and showing little leadership. There were times when they seemed to be walking about with no urgency.

Cristian Romero cares about Spurs

But just as Van de Ven is showing he cares about Tottenham Hotspur with some big time bounce back performances under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, Cristian Romero is also showing how much he cares about the club, albeit off the pitch while injured.

According to Football.London's Alasdair Gold, Romero could have went back to Argentina during his injury recovery for the World Cup, but he has decided to remain with his Tottenham Hotspur teammates in England during this Premier League relegation fight. His goal was to keep supporting his teammates in a close capacity, so Argentina simply sent a member of the medical staff to help him in his rehab from the torn MCL in his right knee.

Romero is a world class center back, and because he is so good and nearing the end of his prime years, many Tottenham fans have assumed he is likely to leave this summer transfer window. Now, that is still probably the case, and the rumors of a move to La Liga will pick up again.

Tottenham were able to keep Romero and make him captain last year despite rampant rumors and the departure of Ange Postecoglou, but during this season, he has made it clear that he is not happy with the direction of the club. Thomas Frank going and Roberto De Zerbi coming in may change his mind, but after being burned by the Postecoglou for Frank switch, Romero can probably see the issues are higher up. But just because he is likely to leave, doesn't mean he no longer cares at all about Spurs. He clearly does.

After Newcastle United dismantled Tottenham Hotspur rivals West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday in the Premier League, all the Lilywhites need to ensure Premier League survival is a solitary point against either Chelsea or Everton to close the final two matches of this nightmare of a 2025/26 season. Then it will be all over and Roberto De Zerbi will have done his job in the short term of keeping Spurs alive so he can enact his long term goals of getting them back to being a contender again.

Easier said than done, sure, but De Zerbi has already successfully done the hard job of getting Spurs to believe again and getting the underperforming players in the squad to rebound. Rodrigo Bentancur and Micky van de Ven are back to being key players for Spurs, and even new signing Joao Palhinha is working himself back into the good graces. And Pedro Porro has been much, much better under De Zerbi as well.

But by far the biggest success story under the guidance of the former Brighton manager is the incredibly fine work done in the center of midfield by Conor Gallagher, the former Crystal Palace and Chelsea standout.

Conor Gallagher is ready for Chelsea

Loved by Mauricio Pochettino but not by his own fans, Gallagher was jettisoned by the Blues to Atletico Madrid so that Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo could create the axis behind Premier League Player of the Season candidate Cole Palmer in the middle of Stamford Bridge.

Gallagher was quite poor for Atleti, and he was even worse for Tottenham Hotspur when he arrived this winter transfer window, looking like a monumental waste of time and money. But against the odds, Roberto De Zerbi believed in him despite many wondering if he even fit the Italian manager's tactical ideas, and he has turned the hard working England international back into a bulldog.

So on Tuesday night when Tottenham take on Chelsea with Premier League survival on the line for De Zerbi's men and European football on the table for a squad that is soon to be Xabi Alonso's to rule, there is more than just revenge for Spurs as a team after the Blues embarrassed them 1-0 earlier this season.

Conor Gallagher has a chance to deliver cruel insult to Chelsea injury in a Spurs victory if he shines again in a Tottenham win. He has been the team's best player since De Zerbi's arrival, combining with Rodrigo Bentancur to dominate the midfield in very different ways. And with James Maddison as a 10 and Palhinha in the mix as well, Spurs have options. The change in narrative around Gallagher has been a huge story for Tottenham of late, and he can go mainstream on Tuesday night with another monster class to exact revenge on Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur require just a point from their remaining two games to stay in the Premier League, but news of Xabi Alonso's agreement to join Chelsea doesn't bod well for the Lilywhites ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge.

Once again, Spurs were aided by Newcastle United at a critical juncture. After helping our Champions League hopes by beating Arsenal on the penultimate matchday four years ago, the Magpies recorded a 3-1 victory over our sole relegation rivals to embolden our survival hopes.

West Ham's wretched start on Tyneside left them with too much to do, even if Nuno Espírito Santo's substitution facilitated a recovery. Their defeat has eased the pressure on Spurs ahead of Tuesday's trip to west London, but the innate pessimist within all of us will be prevalent until safety is confirmed.

This nightmare isn't over just yet.

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea move likely to work against Tottenham on Tuesday

Liverpool's dire Premier League title defence and the scrutiny Arne Slot continues to find himself under meant there was an expectation that the Reds would make their move for Alonso at the end of the season.

However, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have shown few signs of adhering to fan pressure and sacking the Dutchman, who'll once again be heavily backed this summer and lead Liverpool into 2026/27.

That opened the door for alternative Alonso suitors, and Chelsea moved with impressive efficiency to strike a deal with the highly-regarded Spaniard. He joins on a four-year contract, with early reports suggesting the former midfielder will be afforded more authority at Stamford Bridge compared to his predecessors.

While his time at Real Madrid was brief, there's no denying just how good a coach Alonso is. It's some coup for Chelsea, who will end the season without silverware after losing Saturday's FA Cup final.

They sunk to new lows with Liam Rosenior at the helm, and are merely aiming to get through a bitterly disappointing campaign before resetting with Alonso. News of the Spaniard's arrival arrives ahead of trip to Stamford Bridge, so expect the hosts to perform with an extra spring in their step, buoyed by a suddenly optimistic home crowd that remains desperate to see us go down.

This is a bad Chelsea team, but I wouldn't expect them to appear so incompetent midweek. Plus, we tend to succumb at the Bridge no matter the quality of the hosts. Do I need to remind you that we've won just one Premier League game there since the competition's inception?

Fortunately, a scrappy, ugly point will do.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters watched as Newcastle United got the job done against rivals West Ham United, taking them down 3-1 thanks to two goals from young player William Osula. The Hammers are now two points behind Tottenham in the final spot to go down to the EFL Championship with the fates of Burnley and Wolves already sealed.

So now, with Newcastle walking away with a big win over West Ham, the ball is in Spurs court to skate to safety in the Premier League relegation battle. All they need now to guarantee their safety is a solitary point against Chelsea and Everton in these final two games of the 2025/26 season.

That's it. One solitary point, as Roberto De Zerbi has gotten Spurs to believe in themselves again and on the verge of safety. But Chelsea are a tough opponent with a lot on the line themselves as they welcome Xabi Alonso to the fold, and they need all the points they can get in order to stay in some sort of European football.

Tottenham are so close to safety

For Tottenham Hotspur, the strategy to get the point they need against Chelsea and rest easy against Everton is simple. Defend space and win the battle off the ball. Chelsea have the superior players, though they are not good enough to dominate teams in the Premier League. Tottenham are not going to win the possession game against the Blues when comparing these two midfields, but they can't play like cowards like they did under Thomas Frank.

What Spurs need to do is make sure they are compact centrally so that the best players on Chelsea, who have the quickness and technical ability to manufacture shooting opportunities from nothing, don't have those pockets of space they need to interchange and score.

Spurs need to be compact defensively, safe in possession, and progress to avoid absorbing pressure in their half for long periods but without taking unnecessary risks on the ball. Poor passes through the middle of the pitch, for example, are ripe for the Chelsea midfielders and attackers to pick off and turn into easy scoring opportunities.

What Tottenham need to do in order to get a point is simple but not necessarily easy. They need to be smart, disciplined, fundamentally sound, and brave without being pig headed. They shouldn't play for a draw, but Tottenham do not need to risk it all either. Roberto De Zerbi needs to play his usual brand of football in this relegation fight with more of a focus on constant defensive rotations and togetherness, and Spurs can do this.