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Live updates from Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Spurs as they take on Sunderland.
That’s all from us here at the Stadium of Light. Thanks for following along. Goodbye!
Roberto De Zerbi has just spoken to the media. Here are the best quotes:
On Romero’s injury: “We don’t know what it is yet. I hope it’s not too important.”
On Romero’s importance: “He’s a crucial player for us. He’s a top player. We need him to achieve our goal.”
On the performance: “We played a good game, especially in the first half.”
On missed chances: “We had three chances to score.”
On the result: “We played well, but not well enough to win the game.”
On the second half: “In the second half we suffered too much.”
On the current situation: “Now we are in a difficult moment.”
On improvement: “We can play much better. We can do something more.”
On his role: “My job is not to change the style of play, the crucial part is our mentality.”
On confidence: “When we win, we can change everything.”
On the relegation battle: “We have to find the energy.”
On the players: “They are not happy to see Tottenham at the bottom of the table.”
On expectations: “We can’t win the game just because we’re Tottenham.”
On mentality: “We have to show the quality and fight on the pitch.”
On the squad’s mindset: “They are human and they are suffering.”
On his coaching philosophy: “One very important part for me is the mental part.”
On confidence: “My job is to give them what they need in terms of mentality and confidence.”
On belief: “They have the quality to win a game.”
On the immediate goal: “The closer target is to win one game.”
Régis Le Bris has just spoken to the media. Here are the best quotes:
On the game plan: “We had two or three main objectives today.”
On the start: “The first 15 minutes we were a bit sloppy.”
On attacking play: “We were often in the final third today, which was good.”
On efficiency: “If we can be more clinical, the game should have been easier to manage.”
On the performance: “The balance of the ball was positive. We are confident in this moment.”
On progress: “The knowledge of the team now is getting better.”
On selection decisions: “I have to make choices, that is my job.
On squad depth: “It’s important to build more than a starting eleven.”
On Diarra: “He has this power and energy. He was good today.”
On the squad’s energy: “The energy today was really positive.”
On targets: “We want to move forward step by step.”
On Brobbey: “He’s becoming consistent, which is a good sign.”
On Brobbey’s strengths: “The way he keeps the ball under pressure is brilliant.”
On the scoreline: “We could have won by more.”
On the squad: “We have a young squad. Now it’s a question of execution.”
On O’Nien: “He’s a brilliant club captain. He sets the tone every day.”
On control: “If we stay disciplined and composed, we always have the opportunity to win.”
On expectations: “The opponent wasn’t strong enough to beat us today.”
On European football: “It’s not in my mind at the minute.”
On the club’s objective: “The main objective of the club was to stay in the league. We want to be a top ten club consistently.”
Speaking in his press conference, De Zerbi says he is unsure of how serious Romero’s injury problem is but hopes he will not miss games because he is a “crucial player”.
“It is what we have to do. We can just work. I am an honest man and I am telling you what I think. My opinion is that we have big players who are in a bad moment in terms of results and the parts of the season.
“We have to work on one win because with one win we can change everything this season. I have 24 hours per day and it is not a problem of time. We created chances in the first half, the same we have done in the week. The players of the quality are great but we have to believe more in ourselves and the crucial part is to win one game.
“We can play much better than today but after five or six training games it is difficult. All together we have to stay focused to win one game.”
Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi: “I cannot say anything to players because they gave their best in terms of attitude and spirit. We can play better for sure and you can feel better.
“We have to work on that. My work is not so much on the pitch because they are good guys and I am sorry for them. I want to give them confidence in what they need.”
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris: “In this industry you have to win so find a way. New coach for Tottenham and the lads did well because we had to adapt but still be proactive. We didn’t create many chances but lots of opportunities close to the box. Their positional play is unpredictable, we know the ideas and they found one or two passes in the first half but after that it was about key moments.”
And Sunderland take the three points at the Stadium of Light. Mukiele’s goal is enough to secure all the spoils for the home side, and De Zerbi’s tenure as Tottenham manager begins with a defeat. Spurs remain in 18th and without a Premier League win in 2026. Stay tuned for the reactions from both managers post-match here.
OFF: Brobbey
ON: Isidor
Porro to deliver.
Roefs fumbles his catch and tips Porro’s delivery over the bar for a corner.
Hume is booked for a challenge on Tel on the touchline. This is a good opportunity for Porro to cross one into the box.
We will have an additional eleven minutes to end the game here at the Stadium of Light.
OFF: Gallagher
ON: Simons
Time is running out for Spurs to salvage something from this game.
OFF: Mukiele, Rigg
ON: Hume, Talbi
The pressure is really building on Spurs here, with this corner just another within the deluge of chances being afforded to the home side.
Rigg is shown a yellow card for halting the Tottenham counter attack.
Porro to deliver.
OFF: Romero
ON: Danso
Romero is unable to continue and Danso replaces him.
We are having a lengthy stoppage here following a collision of heads between Romero and Kinsky. Both are receiving medical treatment on the pitch and it remains unclear whether they will be able to continue.
OFF: Bergvall, Gray, Richarlison
ON: Palhinha, Sarr, Tel
Sunderland open the scoring at the Stadium of Light! Mukiele does tremendously to weave his way through the Tottenham midfield to the edge of the box, before teeing himself up to shoot. He fires one goalwards, and a cruel deflection off Van de Ven sees his effort loop over the flat-footed Kinsky to gift Sunderland the lead!
Sunderland win a free kick just inside the offensive half.
The game really feels as though it has opened up in the first ten minutes of the second half, and it seems as though the deadlock won’t remain for much longer.
Sunderland get the second half underway.
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