Roberto De Zerbi has dismissed the notion that Tottenham's vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday was due to facing a heavily rotated opposition. The win lifted Spurs above West Ham and out of the relegation zone with three matches remaining, but much of the post-match analysis focused on Villa manager Unai Emery making seven changes to his lineup following their Europa League semi-final first leg at Nottingham Forest.
De Zerbi preferred to highlight his own team's performance, which has given them hope of preserving their Premier League status. He pointed out that Forest manager Vitor Pereira made eight changes for their match against Chelsea, and Forest took an early 2-0 lead before winning 3-1. 'The first XI for Forest was maybe more changes than Aston Villa did, no?' De Zerbi said. 'First half ... 2-0 for Forest and has anyone said anything? No.'
The Spurs head coach listed Villa's strong lineup, including Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Ian Maatsen, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Jadon Sancho, Ross Barkley, and Tammy Abraham. 'It was a great first XI,' he said. 'I don't know if they are better or worse [than normal]. I can say one thing – we played without Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Xavi Simons, James Maddison and maybe more players. It is better if the people speak about us than we speak about them.'
When asked if the reaction surprised him, De Zerbi replied: 'No. In Italy we are used to thinking in the bad way about this situation but it is not true. It is not true.'
De Zerbi provided injury updates, confirming that Solanke is unlikely to return for the match against Leeds but could be available for the following game against Chelsea. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains out. Regarding James Maddison, who has been an unused substitute for the last three games while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, De Zerbi said: 'He's not ready yet to play ... not for the rhythm, for the intensity of the game. We are playing in the Premier League, the most difficult league in terms of intensity and rhythm.'
Looking ahead, De Zerbi expressed his desire to keep midfielder Joao Palhinha, on loan from Bayern Munich with a €30 million option to buy. 'One hundred per cent,' he said. 'We have to start from this type of person. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best as a player, for sure. I want to see the players with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit, the same personality. We are lucky to have Palhinha.'
