Villa vs Spurs | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi’s pre-match press conference

Here’s what he had to say…

Brilliant win against Wolves, much needed, but then the bad news on Xavi’s injury… how long is Dominic Solanke out for and what’s the latest on Vicario?

Roberto: “I watched you this week. Listen, I want to be clear one time. The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside of the staff, inside of the fans. This voice produces negative thoughts, and the voice says ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons and he was, in the last two games, one of the best and most important players for us, our medical staff is not good enough, the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good, it's impossible winning two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026’. I think it's all negative things and it's rubbish, because I want to keep my focus on ourselves, on the qualities of my players. We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in the Premier League. I have a big respect for Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win in Villa Park it's not a miracle. Maybe we lose, I don't know, but we have the quality to win this game and it's not a miracle. We have to be positive, to be lucky because we are working in a big club. If Solanke and Xavi Simons are injured, we can play with Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and I think they are not worse players, they are different as a characteristic but are very good players. We have Pedro Porro, we have Udogie, we have Micky van der Ven, we have Bentancur, we have Palhinha, we have Gallagher. For that, all these things, I have not too much time to listen and to hear these things.”

I'm sorry, I just think you've been unlucky…

Roberto: “No, because I watched you on TV but no, it's not a polemic, but I heard it's impossible, we are crying, everyone is crying, we are relegated – no, not yet. We have to die on the pitch and to die on the pitch, we have to lose the game, and before losing the game, we have to play, we have to fight. We have two points less than West Ham and West Ham have to play a difficult game as well, like us. Okay, it's not the best moment for us, it's a tough moment, it's a difficult moment, but the losers cry, the losers think negatively. I don't want people close to me crying or to think in a different way than me. That was clear?”

Absolutely. It's because the injury list is so long and the players you were counting on all injured, I just said, very unlucky…

Roberto: “Yes, but we are good enough to win the games, and we are good enough to stay up. Then we will see, because it's the unique way I know. The way I know is to work hard, to give my best, to transfer my idea of the players, the confidence of the players, and to be realistic. I think there are not a lot of people realistic now.”

Finally then, a positive, hopefully - James Madison, was he training this week?

Roberto: “Very well.”

Is there a chance for him to play against Villa or maybe Leeds?

Roberto: “I don't know. I would like to play with him because he's a special player, he's a different player, but we have to consider the physical condition, a lot of things, but I think he can be important in the next three games.”

There has been criticism of the medical department - what did you think of that criticism?

Roberto: “We win together and we lose together and it's not the right time to make polemic or to give responsibilities. Every one of us has to feel the responsibility for a big club. But now we have to stay all together, close2, with just one target on our head and to move on forward all together and stop.”

Can I check on Vicario's fitness?

Roberto: “He's not available yet.”

Have you felt that the win at Wolves has lifted the mood this week?

Roberto: “Yes, at the beginning of the week we suffered these new injuries, but today they worked very well, one of the best training in my time. I was sincere also with them before the training, but I can't say nothing with them, with their attitude, their behaviour, always they've been fantastic.”

How do approach the game against Villa?

Roberto: “Keeping the ball, showing our qualities, because if we have a chance to win the game, it's because we have great players, for me, and fight, run, defend everyone together with order, with the right organisation. Without the ball, for sure, because we have to defend, but we have to attack and to keep the ball and to enjoy with the ball. To try the one-to-one on the wingers' side. To play when we have the right time and the right space between the lines. That's my idea.”

Is there too much negativity in football?

Roberto: “Yes. We lost a lot of injuries, players. We lost two points with Brighton. In Sunderland, we conceded one stupid goal, and I think we didn't deserve to lose the game. Just in my time. If you imagine before what happened before, I can understand the players. Anyway, there is just one way if you want to have no regrets in the future. To have no regrets in the future, you have to remove everything from our head, from our memories and to take one game per game and one game per game, I think, one training per training to find the right organisation, to find the right confidence in ourselves and to play showing our qualities. If we show our qualities, we are good enough to win the game.”

I liked it when you said you're good enough to win and good enough to stay up…

Roberto: “I'm not positive. I want to be realistic. It's different, positive, not positive because today is sunny, it's Italian weather and I'm positive. No, I want to be realistic. For that, I feel this pressure to change the perspective. The same perspective you can see in different ways. One way is ‘we are unlucky, we are at the bottom of the table’. The other perspective is, yes, but we play with Pedro Porro, with Udogie, with Bentancur, with Bissouma, with Palhinha, with Gallagher, with Richarlison, with Kolo Muani. Kolo Muani - two years ago, PSG paid £70 million. He's not stupid. He's a top player. Mathys Tel is one of the best young players in Europe. Richarlison is in the Brazilian national team.”

Is it all about your players showing heart and determination, above skill and fancy tricks and flicks, just heart?

Roberto: “Absolutely, I totally agree. For sure, it's more important, the human value, the pride, the dignity, the passion to silence this criticism. Then the football, the ball, the qualities, everything about football. First of all, other things.”

Can I check on Dominic Solanke – are you going to have him back this season?

Roberto: “I don't know yet. Villa, no, for sure. Then we will see.”

Is it his hamstring?

Roberto: “Yes.”

Is Destiny Udogie available this week?

Roberto: “Udogie can be available, yes. I don't know if that’s the beginning of the game or the second half, but he's available, yes.”

Your passion and your belief that you can do this, do you feel that in your players and do you feel that around this club or are you trying to send a message to everyone inside the club that we can still do this?

Roberto: “No, I think they have just to show the same passion, because inside of them they feel the same passion, they feel the same emotion. About the fans, they showed their passion with Brighton at home. It was an incredible atmosphere, and we have our responsibilities also for them. They showed their passion in Wolverhampton, because they were fantastic with us. It's not so easy to see another stadium in this position of the table to give the same support, the same love they gave against Brighton or in Wolverhampton.”

James Maddison has been part of the group but not played. What sort of impact has he brought just being part of the group and how much of an impact will he make on the pitch when he's ready?

Roberto: “Experience, personality, calm, because if you have much experience, you are calmer. You can consider the timing when you have to speak, when you have to say something or not. I want his feelings to stay inside even if he doesn't play because when he's ready to play I want him 100% inside of the plan of the team.”

In the summer, do you want to look into the injuries?

Roberto: “In the summer, we can do everything. Everything. We have a lot of time to spend speaking about football, about the transfer market, about everything we can improve. We will.”