Roberto De Zerbi warns Tottenham must show greater resilience after Aston Villa defeat

Roberto De Zerbi said Tottenham’s lack of consistency and leadership had left them “so fragile” after their winless Premier League run continued with a 3-2 defeat by Aston Villa.

Tottenham have taken only two points from their first five matches, with De Zerbi frustrated that his side again failed to maintain its level after making a positive start.

“It’s difficult to explain because, in my career, 14 years as a coach, I’ve never seen one team like us,” De Zerbi said. “So fragile, so inconsistent.”

Tottenham created a number of opportunities during the opening half but fell behind while Micky van de Ven was briefly off the pitch receiving treatment after a clash of heads. De Zerbi believed his players should still have dealt with the situation more effectively despite being temporarily reduced to 10 men.

Aston Villa extended their advantage when Nicolas Jackson converted a long clearance from goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. The goal particularly angered De Zerbi because Tottenham had prepared specifically for Villa’s greater reliance on direct passes.

“We knew this season Aston Villa are playing 86% more long balls than last season and we spoke in many meetings about it,” he said.

The Tottenham manager also questioned the communication within his team and called for stronger figures to take responsibility when matches begin to turn against them.

“Maybe the communication between the players [is the problem], maybe the leaders have to be stronger,” De Zerbi said. “We need leaders to drive and lead the team.”

He also challenged Mateus Fernandes and Dominic Solanke to contribute more, while accepting that Solanke’s fitness was not yet at the required level.

“I like Dom as a player, and I stay with him until the end,” De Zerbi said. “He needs to stay better, to feel better. The physical condition is not good enough.”

Tottenham were 3-0 down before scoring twice late in the match, but De Zerbi said the comeback did not disguise the problems that had led to the defeat.

“We can’t lose the game in this way,” he said. “We can’t lose balance just because we are losing.”

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery praised his players for combining belief with a willingness to perform their defensive duties as Villa secured their first Premier League victory of the season.

“The players did well because they believed,” Emery said.

Tottenham now have the international break to regroup before returning to Premier League action with an away match against Manchester United.