Tottenham Hotspur

SPURSPLAY

SPURSPLAY

SPURSPLAY

SPURSPLAY

Here’s what he had to say…

Brilliant win against Wolves, much needed, but then the bad news on Xavi’s injury… how long is Dominic Solanke out for and what’s the latest on Vicario?

Roberto: “I watched you this week. Listen, I want to be clear one time. The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside of the staff, inside of the fans. This voice produces negative thoughts, and the voice says ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons and he was, in the last two games, one of the best and most important players for us, our medical staff is not good enough, the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good, it's impossible winning two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026’. I think it's all negative things and it's rubbish, because I want to keep my focus on ourselves, on the qualities of my players. We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League. I have a big respect for Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win in Villa Park it's not a miracle. Maybe we lose, I don't know, but we have the quality to win this game and it's not a miracle. We have to be positive, to be lucky because we are working in a big club. If Solanke and Xavi Simons are injured, we can play with Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and I think they are not worse players, they are different as a characteristic but are very good players. We have Pedro Porro, we have Udogie, we have Micky van der Ven, we have Bentancur, we have Palhinha, we have Gallagher. For that, all these things, I have not too much time to listen and to hear these things.”

I'm sorry, I just think you've been unlucky…

Roberto: “No, because I watched you on TV but no, it's not a polemic, but I heard it's impossible, we are crying, everyone is crying, we are relegated – no, not yet. We have to die on the pitch and to die on the pitch, we have to lose the game, and before losing the game, we have to play, we have to fight. We have two points less than West Ham and West Ham have to play a difficult game as well, like us. Okay, it's not the best moment for us, it's a tough moment, it's a difficult moment, but the losers cry, the losers think negatively. I don't want people close to me crying or to think in a different way than me. That was clear?”

Absolutely. It's because the injury list is so long and the players you were counting on all injured, I just said, very unlucky…

Roberto: “Yes, but we are good enough to win the games, and we are good enough to stay up. Then we will see, because it's the unique way I know. The way I know is to work hard, to give my best, to transfer my idea of the players, the confidence of the players, and to be realistic. I think there are not a lot of people realistic now.”

Finally then, a positive, hopefully - James Madison, was he training this week?

Roberto: “Very well.”

Is there a chance for him to play against Villa or maybe Leeds?

Roberto: “I don't know. I would like to play with him because he's a special player, he's a different player, but we have to consider the physical condition, a lot of things, but I think he can be important in the next three games.”

There has been criticism of the medical department - what did you think of that criticism?

Roberto: “We win together and we lose together and it's not the right time to make polemic or to give responsibilities. Every one of us has to feel the responsibility for a big club. But now we have to stay all together, close2, with just one target on our head and to move on forward all together and stop.”

Can I check on Vicario's fitness?

Roberto: “He's not available yet.”

Have you felt that the win at Wolves has lifted the mood this week?

Roberto: “Yes, at the beginning of the week we suffered these new injuries, but today they worked very well, one of the best training in my time. I was sincere also with them before the training, but I can't say nothing with them, with their attitude, their behaviour, always they've been fantastic.”

How do approach the game against Villa?

Roberto: “Keeping the ball, showing our qualities, because if we have a chance to win the game, it's because we have great players, for me, and fight, run, defend everyone together with order, with the right organisation. Without the ball, for sure, because we have to defend, but we have to attack and to keep the ball and to enjoy with the ball. To try the one-to-one on the wingers' side. To play when we have the right time and the right space between the lines. That's my idea.”

Is there too much negativity in football?

Roberto: “Yes. We lost a lot of injuries, players. We lost two points with Brighton. In Sunderland, we conceded one stupid goal, and I think we didn't deserve to lose the game. Just in my time. If you imagine before what happened before, I can understand the players. Anyway, there is just one way if you want to have no regrets in the future. To have no regrets in the future, you have to remove everything from our head, from our memories and to take one game per game and one game per game, I think, one training per training to find the right organisation, to find the right confidence in ourselves and to play showing our qualities. If we show our qualities, we are good enough to win the game.”

I liked it when you said you're good enough to win and good enough to stay up…

Roberto: “I'm not positive. I want to be realistic. It's different, positive, not positive because today is sunny, it's Italian weather and I'm positive. No, I want to be realistic. For that, I feel this pressure to change the perspective. The same perspective you can see in different ways. One way is ‘we are unlucky, we are at the bottom of the table’. The other perspective is, yes, but we play with Pedro Porro, with Udogie, with Bentancur, with Bissouma, with Palhinha, with Gallagher, with Richarlison, with Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani - two years ago, PSG paid £70 million. He's not stupid. He's a top player. Mathys Tel is one of the best young players in Europe. Richarlison is in the Brazilian national team.”

Is it all about your players showing heart and determination, above skill and fancy tricks and flicks, just heart?

Roberto: “Absolutely, I totally agree. For sure, it's more important, the human value, the pride, the dignity, the passion to silence this criticism. Then the football, the ball, the qualities, everything about football. First of all, other things.”

Can I check on Dominic Solanke – are you going to have him back this season?

Roberto: “I don't know yet. Villa, no, for sure. Then we will see.”

Is it his hamstring?

Roberto: “Yes.”

Is Destiny Udogie available this week?

Roberto: “Udogie can be available, yes. I don't know if that’s the beginning of the game or the second half, but he's available, yes.”

Your passion and your belief that you can do this, do you feel that in your players and do you feel that around this club or are you trying to send a message to everyone inside the club that we can still do this?

Roberto: “No, I think they have just to show the same passion, because inside of them they feel the same passion, they feel the same emotion. About the fans, they showed their passion with Brighton at home. It was an incredible atmosphere, and we have our responsibilities also for them. They showed their passion in Wolverhampton, because they were fantastic with us. It's not so easy to see another stadium in this position of the table to give the same support, the same love they gave against Brighton or in Wolverhampton.”

James Maddison has been part of the group but not played. What sort of impact has he brought just being part of the group and how much of an impact will he make on the pitch when he's ready?

Roberto: “Experience, personality, calm, because if you have much experience, you are calmer. You can consider the timing when you have to speak, when you have to say something or not. I want his feelings to stay inside even if he doesn't play because when he's ready to play I want him 100% inside of the plan of the team.”

In the summer, do you want to look into the injuries?

Roberto: “In the summer, we can do everything. Everything. We have a lot of time to spend speaking about football, about the transfer market, about everything we can improve. We will.”

As Roberto De Zerbi took charge of his first home match as our new Men's Head Coach, Xavi put in a Player-of-the-match-winning performance as he set up our opener, clipping the ball in cleverly for Pedro Porro to head in, before he fired in an absolute stunner to restore the lead after Kaoru Mitoma's leveller.

After brilliant industrious work from Lucas Bergvall who won the ball off Jan Paul van Hecke high up just moments after coming on as a substitute, the Swede then fed our Dutch playmaker who did the rest.

On the left-hand side of the field, Xavi did brilliantly to move the ball up before cutting inside and finding an angle. Working a yard of space on the edge of the area, Xavi took aim and let fly, sending a sumptuous curler into the far corner of the net.

Cue absolute delirium in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and another unforgettable South Stand scene.

Vote for Xavi for Premier League Goal of the Month

Xavi saw off competition comprehensively in our April Goal of the Month poll, run exclusively on tottenhamhotspur.com and our Official App, taking 81 per cent of the vote.

Sadly, our number seven's maiden Spurs campaign has ended early after he suffered an ACL injury in Saturday's win at Wolves.

We wish him all the best in his rehabilitation and recovery! We'll be with him every step of the way!

Heading into the London derby this weekend, facing a side that sit just below us in the league table, we will have a chance to extend our excellent record against promoted teams at home, where we’ve won our last five games against sides in their first season in the WSL.

However, the Bromley-based side managed to get the better off us in the reverse fixture in November, running out 4-2 winners at Hayes Lane but, in an FA Cup clash in February, it finished 2-2 in a dramatic 90 minutes before we won the penalty shootout 9-8 to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Following the goalless draw with Manchester United last weekend, it moved us closer to recording our best ever season in the top flight and if we can get the better of London City on Sunday, we will set a record for the most points collected in a single campaign, bettering the 32 achieved in 2021/22.

Having recorded our first clean sheet since early January last Sunday against United, no team has kept more clean sheets at home (five) than us and could keep back-to-back shutouts on home turf for the first time since September, 2021.

But we face a London City side who travel to east London on the back off an emphatic 5-1 victory over Leicester City at Hayes Lane, moving them on to 24 points in their maiden campaign at this level – the most won by a promoted side in the league.

Keep an eye on Matilda Vinberg this weekend, though. The Sweden international has created more chances than any other player in our squad this season so far (22) while providing the joint-most assists (three).

The young forward, who is enjoying one of her best seasons in Lilywhite with eight goal contributions in 24 appearances in all competitions, was a goalscorer in our FA Cup fixture with London City last time out, with a composed finish from inside the box.

Here are some other headline pre-match facts, courtesy of Opta, ahead of the London derby:

Since MD14 at the beginning of February, we have recorded the most shots (131), the second-highest xG figure (14.0) and the third-most touches in the opposition box (227) in the WSL. We have had 20+ shots in three different games in that period, more often than any other side.

On MD20 against Leicester, London City Lionesses became the second newly promoted team to score five goals in a WSL game after West Ham United vs Yeovil in December 2018; the Lionesses had 10 shots on target in that win, also the joint-most in the competition by a promoted team.

We named our youngest ever starting lineup for a WSL game last time out against Manchester United (24 years and 217 days) – only Everton (4,743) and London City Lionesses (4,713) have handed more minutes to players aged 21 or under than us (3,956) in the top-flight this season.

Isobel Goodwin and Freya Godfrey have both scored five league goals this season, making London City Lionesses the first newly promoted team to have two players hit that mark in a Women’s Super League campaign since Manchester United in 2019-20 (Lauren James – 6 and Katie Zelem – 5).

Predict the score | Spurs vs London City Lionesses

The striker was forced off towards the end of the first half at Molineux, replaced by Richarlison, who later had a hand in Joao Palhinha’s crucial winning goal.

Roberto was asked in his pre-Villa press conference on Friday afternoon if Dominic was going to be available again this season. “I don't know yet,” he said. “Villa, no, for sure. Then we will see.”

Roberto reported that Guglielmo Vicario was ‘not available yet’ as the goalkeeper works his way back to fitness following surgery on a hernia.

There was better news on Destiny Udogie, who was sidelined for last week’s win at Molineux. “Udogie can be available, yes,” reported Roberto. “I don't know if that’s the beginning of the game or the second half, but he's available, yes.”

Wayne Burnett’s side secured a 1-0 home win over Leicester City in the round of 16 last week, while Chelsea won at home to Middlesbrough by the same scoreline.

The Blues won the league phase of the competition while we finished eighth.

Tonight’s match takes place at Kingsmeadow – tune in to SPURSPLAY just before kick-off at 7pm to watch the action live.

Our youngsters have enjoyed an impressive run in the competition, coming through two group stages before defeating Chelsea 3-1 in the semi-final to set up the showpiece match across the capital.

For Tom, the chance for his players to develop while competing for silverware in a Premier League stadium is a valuable one.

“The players and staff have worked hard to get here, coming through seven difficult games against some top teams, so it’s a brilliant opportunity for the group,” he said.

“As always, it’s a big thank you to all of our parents for their continued support, and also to Fulham for hosting the final at Craven Cottage. They’re a club with very good staff and talented players, so it should make for a really competitive and enjoyable game. We’re all very excited for the occasion.”

Tom, who is assisted in leading our Under-16s by our former midfielder Tom Carroll, will be looking to emulate our Academy’s recent success in Premier League Cups after we won the Under-17 version last season, in addition to the Under-17 and Under-18 double in 2022/23.

The first group stage in this season’s competition mirrored our fixtures in the Under-18 Premier League Cup – a 1-0 home win over Reading was followed by a 2-2 draw at Burnley and a 4-0 home victory against Derby County.

After the turn of the year, a second group phase yielded a 4-1 win at Middlesbrough, a 1-1 home draw with Manchester City and a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa. Chelsea were then defeated at Hotspur Way in March as we made it through to the final.