Roberto De Zerbi tells his Tottenham players to use Chelsea’s hatred to inspire them as they seek crucial points in relegation battle: ‘Imagine celebrating the win in their stadium!’
Roberto De Zerbi wants his Tottenham players to use Chelsea’s hatred as fuel to hunt down the point they need to avoid relegation.
Ten years on from the ‘Battle of Bridge’ when a fiery 2-2 draw between these London rivals confirmed Leicester as Premier League champions and end all hope Spurs had of catching the popular outsiders.
This time, a draw at Stamford Bridge will keep the visitors up by virtue of a 13-goal advantage over West Ham and spoil the schadenfreude for all those hoping to see Spurs plunged into the second tier for the first time since 1977.
‘Pride is an amazing motivation,’ said De Zerbi. ‘If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, I think for a Tottenham player, a Tottenham fan and all those who work inside Tottenham, it has to be the biggest motivation.
‘I am Italian and in Italy, it’s the same. For the biggest teams, it’s the same. We have to accept the pressure. We have to enjoy this pressure. We have to accept that football is nice because of the rivalry.
‘We have to find new motivation from this pressure. It’s a good thing for us. If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it’s a big motivation for me, and I hope for my players as well.
Roberto De Zerbi wants his Tottenham players to use Chelsea’s hatred as fuel on Tuesday
‘It’s good to imagine ourselves celebrating the win in their stadium.’
Spurs have an atrocious record at the Bridge. They have won only one of their last 40 games there in a run stretching more than 36 years, a 3-1 win in 2018 with two goals from Dele Alli and one from Christian Eriksen. Before that, Gary Lineker scored the winner in 1990.
De Zerbi claimed to have no knowledge of the Battle of the Bridge just as he claimed to have paid very little attention to West Ham’s defeat at Newcastle on Sunday, which has eased the pressure.
In 2016, he was at the start of his coaching career with Foggia, in Italy’s third tier.
He will call for calm as his team seeks to extend a run of four unbeaten games.
‘Always calm with blood,’ said De Zerbi. ‘Personality with the right spirit, but anyway calm and focus just on the game.’
The Spurs boss pointed out how they almost conceded a late equaliser to Leeds because the reaction to conceding an equaliser had been ‘too strong too fast’ and required a brilliant save by Antonin Kinsky to preserve a point.
He knows Chelsea well. Four of their players, Joao Pedro, Moses Caicedo, Levi Colwill and Robert Sanchez played under him at Brighton, and he was there to see them lose 3-1 against Nottingham Forest two weeks ago.
He will not be fooled into thinking it will be easier than usual despite Chelsea’s miserable Premier League form with one point from the last seven games The home crowd will delight in cranking up the pressure and sending their visitors into a final day nailbiter.
Tottenham will confirm their Premier League survival with a win against Chelsea – and pretty much be safe if they draw thanks to their superior goal difference over West Ham
Yet when he addressed his squad on Monday the Spurs boss was keen to reinforce his own team’s improved sequence of results since his arrival.
‘We have to play with confidence because in the last four games we made eight points and if you analyse the performance we could have made more,’ said De Zerbi.
‘We can’t forget what the situation was a month ago. We are not safe yet.
‘The most important thing now is to stay up and play in the Premier League next season.’
Guglielmo Vicario is fit again after a hernia operation although Antonin Kinsky is expected to continue in goal. Dominic Solanke is not ready after a hamstring injury.
