Roberto De Zerbi has told his Tottenham players to treat Tuesday night’s trip to Chelsea as a test of nerve, not a reason to panic, with the team needing only a draw at Stamford Bridge to all but secure Premier League safety.
De Zerbi said the talk around Tottenham’s survival bid should be used as fuel, not noise. “If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it’s a big motivation for me and I hope for my players as well,” he said, adding that his squad must “accept that football is nice because of the rivalries” and keep “calm with the blood, with personality, with the right spirit.”
The Italian coach, who has been at the club for five matches, has also been leaning on the history of the fixture to keep the focus narrow. He said he had spoken to his players about Stamford Bridge’s reputation mainly to tell them it is not something to worry about, even though Tottenham have won there only once since 1990. That one victory came in 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino, when Dele Alli scored twice in a 3-1 win.
The game matters because of where Tottenham now sit and what is at stake around them. A draw on Tuesday night would all but ensure Spurs survive in the Premier League and send West Ham down. When De Zerbi took over from Igor Tudor at the end of March, Tottenham had not won in the league since 28 December at Crystal Palace. They have since beaten Wolves in De Zerbi’s third match and then beat Aston Villa to climb out of the bottom three, but the margin remains thin.
Team news gives De Zerbi at least one decision to weigh. Dominic Solanke is still injured, while Guglielmo Vicario is available again. The coach said he will decide whether to recall Vicario or stick with Antonin Kinsky.
The backdrop only sharpens the edge. Chelsea and Tottenham are linked by the Battle of the Bridge in May 2016, a 2-2 draw that ended Tottenham’s title challenge. That match was ferocious enough to become part of the fixture’s identity, and this season both clubs have also carried unwanted discipline records: Tottenham have the worst in the league with 91 yellow cards and four reds, while Chelsea have the second-worst with 81 yellow cards and seven reds.
De Zerbi’s message to his players is simple. The noise, the history and the pressure are all part of the night. The job is to stay composed, stay together and leave Stamford Bridge with the point that changes everything.
