Spurs 2-3 Villa | Every word of Roberto De Zerbi's post-match press conference

Here's what he had to say...

It felt like another one of those games where you're dominant in the first half but don't score your goals, that puts pressure on the team and they don't react well...

Roberto: "Yes, but I don't want to speak about the first half. When we dominate the game, we create more chances to score, we play well. My focus is why we concede the first goal with 10 players just for one minute. In that situation, we can stay stronger, we can communicate more and more and more. We can defend in a compact way. I put Betancur as a centre-back in that moment, Matheus Fernandes as a midfielder. So, if we bring a red card, we can play 40 minutes, 70 minutes, 60 minutes with 10 players. What is the problem? And then, in the second half, we scored the goal with Kudus, offside. I don't know if some players lost energy, but we conceded an unacceptable goal from a long kick with a long ball. We knew before the game, because this season, Aston Villa are playing 86% more long balls than last season. We spoke in many, many meetings yesterday and two days ago. Then, we have to explain another game, like Newcastle, where we played the first half well, 60 minutes, okay, and then we lose. For sure, it is my responsibility. I take my responsibility, but in that moment of the game, when the game is different than ball possession, than playing in the last third, because we can't play 90 minutes in the last third like the first half, because there is an opponent, Aston Villa. It's a good team, good players, and the moment when we have to defend, we have to defend compact. The leaders have to be leaders and to lead the team."

Mo Kudus came on for Fernandes, it felt like he took a while to get into the game...

Roberto: "I had a doubt before the game yesterday between Kudus, Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes. Kudus starting in the first 11, maybe as a 10, especially as a 10. I thought he couldn't have the intensity like Mateus or Gallagher. The, Mateus-Gallagher, I decided for Mateus to give more control, more technique on the midfield position. Mateus is younger. Kudus, when he played, I think we lost balance."

Do you think you could see that coming, given how different Kudus and Mateus are in terms of profiles when you bring up midfield like that? Is it maybe understandable why Aston Villa were able to come through midfield in that way?

Roberto: "I think, yes, but explain because I didn't understand the question. You want to ask me if in the second half we played worse than in the first half because there was Kudus?"

I think Kudus probably added something to your attack, but maybe having Fernandes off the pitch lost something from your midfield potentially...

Roberto: "No, I think no. It's not this the problem. The problem is in the second half we lost balance because we were losing. We forced the pass, we forced the situation. We lost ball and Aston Villa winning, they played more in counter-attack. No, okay, Mateus is different than Kudus, but I have a big confidence in Mateus, but I didn't like the performance of Mateus today. Otherwise I couldn't change. He knows, but it can be normal. It's not an attack of Mateus. I love Mateus, it's not a problem, but I think for Mateus we needed more from Mateus because he can even (more) in that position."

How important is it that you are scoring earlier in games when they are there to be won?

Roberto: "Today I was very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated for the performance, because we can't lose this game in this way, absolutely. We can't concede the second goal. We can't lose balance just because in the first half we are losing. In the beginning of the second half, I spoke with the four attackers to use the head, calm. It was minute 51. The whole second half calm, play, enjoy and don't take risks. We take space or when we go in the last third with more attention, but the goal we conceded, the second goal, was incredible."

Roberto, in my opinion Nicholas Jackson looked like everything Tottenham need at the moment, with the way he performed for Aston Villa. Do you think the club have made a big mistake not signing an out-and-out number nine?

Roberto: "The transfer market is long to explain, because I'm happy for the squad first of all. Otherwise we create polemic. The transfer market was long. The situation changed many times. There was also the financial fair play at the end of the transfer market. We had to respect the financial fair play. We didn't sell the players who we thought in the beginning there was the possibility and the chance to sell. There are a lot of reasons. I think the club and the coach, we are not sleeping. We know the characteristics of the players. We know everything. If we didn't make any different decisions, it was because we couldn't."

Just more generally, in terms of the start, because you now have this break. How worried are you and how can you fix it when so many of your players are now not going to be with you for three weeks?

Roberto: "Maybe it is better. I didn't speak with the players today because I didn't want to say nothing. No, I have nothing with them, but the players who go with the national team, they have to play and work. The other players, Maddison Gallagher, Solanke, Tosin, Senesi, Savio, for sure we have to work more, because also the physical condition, I didn't like even this game."

Roberto, two questions in one. Where was Mathys Tel today?

Roberto: "The technical decision (he) was in the stand, because I think during the game, Maddison and Kudus, they had more chance to change the game. Then two central backs, important. Also the two full-backs. Have a look for Pedro Porro, and the two central midfielders. I explained why to Mathys yesterday. He was very nice and he understood the reason, but nothing more. Also, he's played more than the others."

It feels like you've backed Dom Solanke this summer, you've put your confidence in him, do you need more from him?

Roberto: "We need more from him, for sure, but he's one of my players. I like Domi as a player and I stay with him until the end. He needs to stay better, to feel better. His physical condition is not good enough for sure, but it's normal for him. Maybe he's not good enough in the confidence of himself in this moment, because he's much better than this Domi Solanke. But maybe many, many things can be better than this moment. I think we can't say everything is bad, but it's not enough."