The image of Roberto De Zerbi pulling a black hood over his face while pacing the touchline perfectly captured another night of Tottenham Hotspur’s self-inflicted misery.
The new head coach was a portrait of anguish after Richarlison wasted a golden chance to put Spurs in a commanding position, blazing a simple effort over the bar while they were leading Leeds United thanks to Mathys Tel’s stunning strike. A 2-0 lead is never secure with this Tottenham side, but it might have calmed the nerves that were jangling around the stadium.
De Zerbi is quickly discovering that no such thing as a comfort zone exists at Spurs—especially when presented with an opportunity to create breathing room against West Ham United and ease their Premier League relegation battle.
And so it proved. Hero turned to villain when Tel, already erratic in the first half, conceded a penalty with a reckless bicycle kick in his own box that connected with Ethan Ampadu’s head, leaving the Leeds captain on the ground. The VAR confirmation brought only despair, as De Zerbi stared upward while Dominic Calvert-Lewin slammed home the equaliser.
Tel had earlier shown his unpredictable side when he found himself in trouble in his own penalty area and nearly set up a Leeds goal with a cross, only for Kevin Danso’s desperate clearance to save his blushes.
After being a relatively low-key presence in his early Spurs games—which included vital wins at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa—this was the night the Italian’s combustible temperament boiled over. De Zerbi jumped in disgust at slow play in the first half, then drew the ire of referee Jarred Gillett for repeatedly leaving his technical area. He received a yellow card as tensions escalated, with 13 minutes of added time amplifying the unbearable atmosphere.
No wonder De Zerbi looked so frustrated at the final whistle. The door to survival that opened wider when West Ham United lost controversially to Arsenal on Sunday suddenly slammed shut, as Spurs missed the chance to establish a vital four-point gap with two games remaining.
Speaking to Match of the Day, De Zerbi admitted the pressure may have affected his players. “We didn’t play a great game—we played a good game. I think we deserved to win, but perhaps the pressure, the crucial stage of the season, caused us to suffer too much. Still, I’m happy because I saw the right spirit and mentality in my players. We made too many mistakes, and if we want to win, we must reduce them. We knew before this game it would be tough until the last match. It’s tough for us and for everyone.”
On Tel’s costly error, De Zerbi added: “He is young and talented. I will kiss him and hug him. He doesn’t need many words. He was sorry for the mistake, and it can happen to a young player.”
