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

Here’s what he had to say…

What can you tell us on team news?

Roberto: “Vicario is available to play and I will decide tomorrow (if he plays). Solanke is not good yet. He is not available. He feels something and I don’t want to take a risk for this game. We hope for Sunday, maybe for Sunday he can be available for one part of the game.”

Can you take advantage of West Ham’s loss on Sunday?

Roberto: “My players have to be ready to play a good game, to play a game with courage, with pride, with work on the pitch and to try to make three points to win the game but we have to keep the balance. When we win, we are over. When we lose or maybe like against Leeds, we didn’t win and we felt something bad. Football is to keep the same balance, if you win or if you lose, in every result.”

Spurs have only won once in 35 at Stamford Bridge – why do you think that is?

Roberto: “Stamford Bridge is difficult. It’s a tough stadium because the players of Chelsea in the last 30 to 25 seasons have been fantastic. Fantastic players, fantastic managers, but tomorrow is a new game. They played three days ago, two days ago very well. Maybe they didn’t deserve to lose the game. I know very well a lot of players and their style is clear. It is a tough game for us for sure.”

How confident are you that Spurs are resilient enough to win tomorrow?

Roberto: “We have to play with confidence because in the last four games, the last five games with me, because we didn't deserve to lose the game in Sunderland, but in the last four we made eight points. And if you analyse the performance, I think we could make more points than eight, and for that we have to be confident, be positive. Anyway, we can't forget one month ago what was the situation. We are not safe yet, it's tough in the Premier League. Making one point is tough because all teams fight on the pitch, all teams are very tough to beat, but we have the quality enough and we have to show the quality with the right mentality, the right spirit. I want to see courage on the pitch, try (to have) the condition to win the game, like in the last period.”

How do you expect Conor Gallagher to cope with his return to Chelsea?

Roberto: “From Conor, I expect the same performance. He’s a great player for us, a great personality. He doesn’t speak too much, but he speaks on the pitch with his work, with his personality, and we are lucky to have a player like this.”

How much did you enjoy working with Moises Caicedo at Brighton and how do you assess his time at Chelsea?

Roberto: “Caicedo was a great player (at Brighton), it was a pleasure working with him. Like Robert Sanchez, like Levi Colwill and João Pedro. I think Caicedo now is one of the best midfielders in the world because he’s a complete player, with the ball, without the ball, but also our midfielders are very good – Palhinha, Bentancur, Gallagher and the others Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall, Pape Sarr – and I'm happy because I'm working with my players.”

How much of a warning has this season been to the club in terms of the dangers of relegation?

Roberto: “One thing at a time. Now we need to play two games, we have to make other points to achieve our target and then we have the right time to speak about all problems we have had, but it’s not the right moment now to speak, to lose time and to lose energy.”

You’ve been positive since your arrival – has that been the key for Spurs?

Roberto: “I have just one face. I consider myself very honest as a man. I have big confidence in my players and I always started from the qualities of the players. If I see, if I recognise the right qualities of my players I'm always positive. Then in the second moment, when I came I knew the players better and the qualities of the players, the qualities of the people, I thought there was the right chance to fight. It's not finished but at the moment I'm happy with what the players have done in my time, but we need another step.”

How busy is it for a manager when the summer ahead includes a World Cup?

Roberto: “Listen, my head is not big enough to think about two, three, four things together. Now we have to reach the target and to make another result. We have to play another two games. We try to achieve the target tomorrow and for the future we have all summer to think and to make plans, to make the project, everything.”

How difficult is your goalkeeper decision with Vicario back fit?

Roberto: “No, it's not difficult, the decision. Yes, Vicario is number one but we have to consider the physical condition, the moment, everything, but I have a big relationship with Antonin Kinsky and Vicario as well and there will not be any problem.”

How much can James Maddison feature against Chelsea?

Roberto: “At the beginning of the week, he didn’t work for a small problem, but yesterday and today, James is working very well. He’s a special player, he’s a different player. Now, he’s not ready to play 90 minutes. I want to speak with him tomorrow morning and to take the best decision we can.”

We’ve seen injured players celebrating goals, like Cristian Romero did for Mathys Tel…

Roberto: “Cristian Romero is a big player, you know he is a big player, but he is an amazing guy because he has been a great captain in my time even though he didn’t play. We are talking by phone, when he stays here, every morning he came in my office and he was inside of the season.”

Could we see him before the end of the season?

Roberto: “I don’t know, but we have to play another two games. Now for our injured players when are they available after a long time with injury? It is a big problem because the season is tough and only one target we have now. Play with Romero? Play with Vicario? Play with Kinsky? The target is just one and to stay up and make points tomorrow because this is the target for everyone. Individual targets now are not important.”

What made the difference in the last month?

Roberto: “It is not finished yet and it is not correct if I answer you now. Before answering your question we have to make a point in the Premier League and especially in the Premier League, to make one point you have to fight and play very well. We have to keep focused on the game and then we can answer and make a big press conference, two to three hours of a press conference but now is not the right time.”

What did you do to motivate the players?

Roberto: “Nothing special. They deserve to stay up and they deserve to play in the Premier League. They are good players and maybe they have to believe more in themselves and to stop the negative thoughts. Just that.”

How important is it that Cristian Romero is here next season?

Roberto: “It is a good question but it is the wrong timing. First of all, now the focus is Chelsea. Second point, Romero is a great player and the most important is the behaviour and how much the player wants to stay in this club. We are going to take all the decisions after the season and after the Everton game.”

How has Mathys Tel reacted since the Leeds game?

Roberto: “A great reaction. He is a mature guy. Maybe more outside of the pitch than on the pitch because he is not playing so many games in his career, but he has big potential. He is a lovely guy, he is a positive guy and he has strong character. I think in the future he can play better and better and he can become a great player for us.”

Would it be a miracle if Tottenham won at Chelsea tomorrow, given the record there?

Roberto: “No, but to win the game tomorrow we have to play a great game against a great, great team.”