De Zerbi surprised Spurs have the 'right spirit' to survive. But do they have enough fit players?

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsArsenal Back on TopAnalysing the Run-inTitle Race in NumbersRe-Refereeing Chelsea vs. Leeds 1970AnalysisDe Zerbi surprised Spurs have the ‘right spirit’ to survive. But do they have enough fit players?The joy and pain of Spurs' big win against Wolves Getty Images Share articleJoao Palhinha leapt over the advertising boards to celebrate with Tottenham Hotspur’s travelling supporters. The Portugal international’s 82nd-minute strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers left Spurs on the brink of winning a Premier League game for the first time since December but nobody would have blamed any of those fans who had made the trip to Molineux for holding back slightly. Last Sunday, they went wild when Xavi Simons scored a stunning goal to give them a late 2-1 lead at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, only for Georginio Rutter to crush their spirit with a stoppage-time equaliser. Spurs managed to hold onto their advantage this time, and owe a huge amount of gratitude to Antonin Kinsky who tipped Joao Gomes’ free-kick over the bar. Kinsky collided with the post when he made that save but jumped back to his feet in anticipation of a corner. Seconds later, referee Anthony Taylor blew the full-time whistle. Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur charged over and jabbed a celebratory finger towards his goalkeeper’s face before hugging him. Full-back Pedro Porro and Palhinha embraced. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi fist-pumped in front of the Spurs fans. It was an ugly performance, but the psychological boost of Tottenham ending their 15-game winless run in the league that dates back to December 28 was clear to see. Spurs started the game positively but their intensity levels dropped quickly. Just before half-time, first-choice striker Dominic Solanke suffered a muscle injury. Then Simons left the game on a stretcher just past the hour after hurting his knee. Tottenham desperately needed somebody to provide them with a creative spark and had just lost two of their most influential attacking players. At one stage late in the match, Spurs were four points away from safety because West Ham United were beating Everton in one of the day’s other 3pm kick-offs. If they could not win against already-relegated, last-placed Wolves, surely they were, deservedly, doomed to play in the Championship next season. They created a couple of chances from Porro’s outswinging corners and finally found the goal which has given them a renewed sense of hope. De Zerbi has said on multiple occasions since his appointment on March 31 that his tactical philosophy is not important with only a few weeks left until the end of the season. The Italian wants to act like an older brother or father figure to the squad to try to guide them away from danger and these three points are the perfect tonic for their fragile confidence. After the Wolves game, De Zerbi revealed he had been surprised by the players since he replaced Igor Tudor. “If you watch the game from the stand or TV, you can’t understand if they have the right spirit or if they have the right attitude,” he said. “I work with them every day and all players are professional, good guys, and they are suffering for this situation. (I) just (need) to give them confidence and order on the pitch, because I didn’t like the second half at all. We could play better, we have to play better, much better than the second half. We have to play like the first 30 minutes. Maybe creating more chances to score and more shots on goal.” There were lots of examples of Spurs players demonstrating they had the right attitude. In the 24th minute, Kevin Danso’s mis-hit pass went behind Yves Bissouma. Djed Spence and Bissouma chased after the ball to prevent Wolves from winning a throw-in. It might not seem significant but it indicated they were prepared to work hard. A few minutes later, Solanke blocked Rodrigo Gomes’ fierce volley from a corner. Bentancur, in only his second appearance since recovering from a hamstring injury which ruled him out for three months, was unafraid to challenge his team-mates when they made poor decisions in possession. When Danso’s weak header presented Adam Armstrong with a one-v-one opportunity in the second half, Kinsky sprang off his line and bravely punched the ball away. The mentality of this squad has been questioned throughout the season but they refused to give up against Wolves. However, this turned out to be a bittersweet victory. Losing Xavi and Solanke for an extended period of time will significantly damage their chances of escaping the relegation zone. Solanke has been unfortunate with injuries since he joined Spurs from Bournemouth in August 2024 for a club-record fee of £65million. The England international has been restricted to 20 appearances in all competitions this season and has only scored three times but that includes both goals in February’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City. Solanke is capable of producing match-winning moments and is excellent off the ball. The 28-year-old’s latest setback is a blow for Spurs and damages his chances of featuring at this summer’s World Cup. De Zerbi said Solanke’s muscle injury was “not a big problem”, while Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani can cover him. De Zerbi praised Xavi for his ability to receive the ball when it is “hot” before the draw with Brighton. The Netherlands international is unafraid to try to make things happen out of sheer will. Spurs have struggled to create chances this season due to the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Maddison has been named in the squad for their last two games but De Zerbi admitted “he is not available yet” to feature and has been included for his leadership qualities. De Zerbi did not sound optimistic about Kulusevski’s chances of representing Sweden at the World Cup in June let alone returning for Spurs before the end of the campaign. Xavi leaves a creative void which somebody needs to fill but there is no obvious solution. Lucas Bergvall has operated as a No 10 on a few occasions but looks more suited to a deeper role long-term. Conor Gallagher lacks Xavi’s technical quality and Pape Matar Sarr is struggling with a shoulder injury. Wilson Odobert is recovering from an ACL injury. Earlier this month Spurs revealed Mohammed Kudus had suffered a setback in his recovery from a quad injury and might require surgery. Spurs’ attacking options have been decimated by injuries while Kolo Muani’s underwhelming performances prompted De Zerbi to say they needed to have “breakfast, lunch and dinner” together every day “because he is a top player (in terms of) potential and he plays (better) the better he feels”. Spurs finally showed everybody that they are willing to fight to stay in the division but the problem is they might not have enough players to survive. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms