Roberto De Zerbi will have his work cut out in the coming weeks as he fights to keep Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi needs to significantly reduce the number of individual errors if he wants to keep Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. The Lilywhites could fall into the relegation zone this weekend, with just a point separating them from West Ham.
In fact, if the Hammers beat Wolves at Molineux on Friday night, Spurs won’t have the chance to climb out of the bottom three until Sunday afternoon, when they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Tottenham are yet to win a game in the English top-flight this year, so De Zerbi will be determined to get off on the right foot.
If the Lilywhites are to taste victory in the North East, and ultimately stay in the Premier League, they’ll need to put the iron out the bad habits they picked up under Thomas Frank. According to Opta, no team produced more individual errors that led to goals and shots than Spurs (20) in the English top-flight from the opening day of the season to matchday 16.
Opta define an error as: “A player doing something which leads to a goal or shot being conceded. It includes spills and attempted claims or saves by a goalkeeper which directly lead to a second attempt to score.”
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Tottenham were closely followed by Everton (19), Nottingham Forest (18), and Wolves (17). Interestingly, Manchester City, who are now second in the Premier League, produced almost as many individual errors that led to goals and shots (16) during the same period.
Meanwhile, Leeds United conceded the fewest, and yet they’re embroiled in a relegation battle. From matchday 17 to the present day, only two teams – Brighton (21) and Newcastle United (20) – have produced more individual errors that led to goals and shots than Tottenham (19).
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
While Spurs have continued to make costly mistakes, Leeds have remained sturdy at the back (eight). Everton, Forest, and Wolves, who once rubbed shoulders with the Lilywhites, have pulled their fingers out, becoming three of the 10 teams that conceded the fewest individual errors that led to goals and shots.
Igor Tudor was initially tasked with ironing out the bad habits, but he failed to turn things around in north London. Now, it’s up to De Zerbi to do what his predecessors couldn’t.
Upon signing a five-year contract at Hotspur Way, the Italian outlined his plan to keep Spurs in the Premier League. In an interview with club media, he said: “It’s a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham.
“I think we have the right qualities to come out from this moment. I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and the qualities of them.
“They have to show what they are and what they are used to playing.”
Turning his attention to the clash in the North East, the Spurs gaffer said: “I think we have to be focused just on the Sunderland game. I don’t want to listen to people speaking about the schedule or the Brighton game or the Wolverhampton game.
“Game by game, we have to prepare the players to win the game and to be focused just on the game. We have to play with courage. We have to play with the qualities of the players, because if I accepted this challenge, it’s because I have a big confidence in the players and the history of Tottenham football is a very clear style of play.
“We are lucky, I am lucky, because I have big players with big talent and my work is to help the players to show their qualities.”
