De Zerbi identifies Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the Premier League’s best aerial striker

Roberto De Zerbi says Leeds United possess the best striker in the air in Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Tottenham prepare to face them in the 10th round of the Premier League.

The Tottenham manager also confirmed that Savio, Lucas Bergvall and Mykhailo Mudryk will miss the match through injury.

Tottenham go into the fixture on a run of three successive victories, having beaten Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace in that order. They are ninth in the Premier League table with 12 points, while Leeds United are 12th on 11 points.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference, De Zerbi said the club wanted to build on their recent form.

“We want to continue this period of the season in the best possible way,” said the Italian. “We are performing well and collecting points one after another.”

He added that Tottenham were making progress both on and off the pitch as they looked to establish a clear identity.

“We are now building something special, both in terms of the atmosphere in the dressing room and by developing a clear style of play,” he said. “The players are performing much better than they were at the start of the season.”

De Zerbi said Leeds would provide a particularly demanding test because of the intensity of their pressing, especially when playing at home.

“Leeds’ pressure is extremely strong, particularly on their own ground,” he said. “They have a clear way of playing. There are not many teams in the world that defend with five players and then switch to four during the build-up.”

The Tottenham manager also highlighted the threat posed by Calvert-Lewin, who he believes is outstanding when challenging for balls in the air.

“Perhaps Leeds have the best striker in the air,” De Zerbi said.