LONDON — Roberto De Zerbi has warned his “suffering” Tottenham Hotspur stars to show a stronger mentality in the fight to avoid relegation from the English Premier League.
De Zerbi’s side is two points from safety with just five games left to stave off the humiliation of playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977-78.
The north London club conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend, leaving them third-from-bottom of the table and extending their winless run in the league to 15 matches, AFP reported.
They head to Molineux knowing that a victory over the division’s bottom club, combined with a defeat or draw for fourth-from-bottom West Ham against Everton, would lift them back out of the relegation zone.
De Zerbi believes that Tottenham will only avoid the drop if they are able to cope with the mounting pressure of the tense struggle for survival.
“We are suffering, they are suffering because it is not easy to play in Tottenham in this condition of the table, but I said they have to be stronger,” De Zerbi told reporters.
“We have to live every part of the day waiting for a win and preparing for a win because I think with a win we can change this part of the season.”
Injury-plagued Tottenham hasn’t won a league game in 2026 and their fitness problems show no sign of improving.
De Zerbi this week lost left-back Destiny Udogie to a muscle problem and Guglielmo Vicario is still not available after hernia surgery, which means Antonin Kinsky will deputise in goal again.
James Maddison, who has not played this season, was an unused substitute against Brighton and even though he is set to travel to Wolverhampton, the playmaker does not appear ready to feature.
De Zerbi, who is Tottenham’s third manager this season after the sackings of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, acknowledged the danger of facing a Wolves team uninhibited by battling against relegation.
But he believes that Tottenham’s players remain determined to beat the drop despite criticism of their limp performances for much of the season.
“It’s a tough game because they (Wolves) have nothing to lose. It’s an important game for us, for sure, but we have to be able to play with not too much pressure,” the Italian said.
“Sometimes when one team is losing too many games, the rumours are not nice,” he said, adding that some people question the seriousness of the players.
“It is not like this in this case. I found good players, good guys, serious players and they follow me. They believe in my words because I am able to recognise the eyes of the players.”
