Roberto De Zerbi hopes for mentality shift after Tottenham Hotspur win
It was not pretty, but their 1-0 triumph at Molineux was important nonetheless, as Spurs kept pace with their relegation rivals West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
Joao Paulinha’s 82nd-minute opener, a simple finish at the back post, was the fortune Spurs needed, after the ball sailed through the box from a corner to reach the Portuguese midfielder.
With the Hammers beating Everton at the London Stadium, Spurs remain in the relegation zone, but De Zerbi hopes that ending his side’s 15-game Premier League winless run can change the Lilywhites’ mindsets ahead of a crucial period.
“I think in the first 30 or 35 minutes we played well," he said. "We didn’t create big chances to score, but we had total control of the game. We hadn’t won any Premier League game in 2026, and this created pressure, maybe, because we played against Wolverhampton, who were relegated.
“I’m happy with the result. I hope that this result can change something in our heads, the mentality. With the other results, it’s already very tough to win a game for us; if we focus on other teams too, it becomes too tough.”
Spurs suffered two injuries during the game, including a serious knee issue, which saw Simons stretchered off in the second half, after Solanke had already made way late in the first half.
De Zerbi remained optimistic on Solanke, despite conceding it was too early to offer any sort of timeline, but he admitted it looked like a severe knee injury for Simons.
“[For Solanke] It was a muscular issue," the Italian revealed. "I don’t know what level, but it is not a big problem, I don’t know how many games we’ll lose him.
"It is a knee problem [for Simons]. I spoke to him two minutes ago, and he feels better than he did initially, but these are obviously a different type of injury.”
