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De Zerbi demands more fight from Tottenham after Villa defeat
Roberto de Zerbi has called for greater intensity from his players following their 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa.
Aston Villa returned from north London with three points on Saturday after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The result left Spurs head coach Roberto de Zerbi searching for answers, and according to BBC Sport, he directed his frustration at his players' mentality rather than their technical ability.
De Zerbi stated that his side 'have to be stronger', calling for 'blood and fight' from a squad he felt lacked the necessary intensity against Unai Emery's team.
The Italian's post-match assessment placed the emphasis firmly on behaviour, suggesting he believes the issue lies in application rather than quality.
For Villa, the victory marks an impressive away win early in the Premier League campaign, compounding the difficulties of a Tottenham side who were unable to contain them over the ninety minutes.
Spurs will now look to address those concerns before their next fixture, while Villa turn their attention to hosting Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday 10 October.
What we know
- Single source: BBC Sport, published today.
- De Zerbi quoted as saying Spurs 'have to be stronger' and need 'blood & fight'.
- Focus is on Tottenham's shortcomings rather than Villa's performance details.
- No independent corroboration beyond BBC Sport's match report.
Full time
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa — 2-3
Match centreUTV confidence
68%
Source trail
Reported byBBC Sport
