Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi has refused to put further pressure on his team as relegation threatens to loom, but stressed the importance of Saturday’s win against Wolves.
Tottenham are in the relegation zone and will enter the next round of the Premier League with a two-point difference over 17th-placed West Ham. Nottingham Forest are 16th in the table but could move eight points clear of Spurs if they beat Sunderland on Friday Night Football, which will be broadcast live on Sky.
De Zerbi’s side picked up their first point under the Italian manager with a home draw against Brighton, which they had twice led, but Spurs are still waiting for their first league win in 2026. With five games left, coach De Zerbi says he wants his team to remember the situation they are in.
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“I don’t want to put pressure on him, but we need to know the situation,” De Zerbi said. “We can’t forget about the table and we can’t forget that we need to win.
“What we’ve done so far isn’t enough. Winning at Wolves isn’t the end.”
“We have four games. We deserve to win the game. We knew Brighton were one of the best teams in the league. After Chelsea, everyone understood. We played a good game but were unlucky.”
“It’s not an easy game,” he said of the trip to Wolves, who are already relegated.
“In our last three home games we drew with Arsenal and won against Aston Villa and Liverpool.
“It’s a tough game because they have nothing to lose. We have to be able to play without putting too much pressure on them.
“My job is not to prepare the game in the best way, but to play football. They are very good players. They have important qualities and are playing without too many problems.”
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Free to watch: Premier League highlights of Tottenham vs. Brighton
Madison is headed to the Timberwolves, but he’s not ready to leave.
James Maddison will travel to Wolves with his teammates, but De Zerbi has admitted he is not yet ready to play.
The England midfielder made his long-awaited return to the Spurs squad, having been named on the bench ahead of Tottenham’s draw with Brighton.
Maddison hasn’t played for the Spurs since the preseason when he injured his ACL. The 29-year-old has not featured in the Premier League for the past year.
James Maddison made his long-awaited return to Tottenham’s Spurs squad ahead of the draw with Brighton
Asked about Maddison, De Zerbi said:
“Madison is still unavailable. He was in pain, especially this week, but it’s not a serious problem. He’ll be with us tomorrow for the game because he’s important.”
“It doesn’t matter if he plays or not, he’s certainly better off playing, but also as a guy, as a leader, as a positive guy in the locker room.
“I want to meet nice people and positive people, and that’s important for his teammates as well.”
Spurs will be without Destiny Udogi, Papu Sarr and Guglielmo Vicario, who join a long injured list that also includes captain Cristian Romero, Mohamed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski.
“There’s a problem with fate,” De Zerbi said.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to play tomorrow. He played great in the first half and second half (against Brighton), but the first game was great.
“We have (Jed) Spence and Souza will be there as well. I hope Udogi will be available at Villa Park.”
“It’s not a serious injury. It can happen. Udoizi is an important player for us.”
De Zerbi added that Sarr will also not be at Wolves, while Vicario is also absent but will return to the group from next Monday.
Coach Dezerbi explained Sarr’s absence by saying, “Searle was feeling pain in his shoulder.”
“This week he did not work with the group. He is absent. Vicario is also absent. I hope he can start working with me on Monday.”
“Antonin (Kinski) is playing really well. We hope Vicario returns in top form. He is also an important player for us.”
Spurs wear T-shirts in solidarity with Danso
Tottenham have announced that they will wear T-shirts that read ‘Spurs Against Racism’ ahead of their clash with Wolves.
Spurs made the announcement after taking a stand after Kevin Danso suffered racist abuse online during last weekend’s draw with Brighton.
“We want to make clear to the world that if someone thinks it is okay to racially abuse our players, we will take the strongest possible action,” the club said in a statement.
In a statement, the club outlined the impact of its efforts against racism and online abuse. In Danso’s case in particular, Spurs say they have reported everything to the Metropolitan Police and the appropriate authorities. This resulted in account deletion and ban.
De Zerbi said of Danso in a press conference: “The abuse towards Kevin was very upsetting. He played a great game. I don’t think one mistake is that important. I take into account his behavior on the pitch.”
“He’ll be here next season because he’s a good guy. I’m lucky to be able to work with him.”
Watch Wolves vs Tottenham highlights for free on the Sky Sports app from 5.15pm on Saturday
