LONDON — Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said his side is “not finished yet” despite a bitterly disappointing 2-2 draw against Brighton to leave them mired in the English Premier League relegation zone.
Spurs twice took the lead in front of passionate home fans and Xavi Simons’ wonderful strike in the 77th minute appeared to have earned a precious three points as the clock ticked down.
But wild scenes of joy among the fans turned to disbelief when Georginio Rutter slotted home to ensure the spoils were shared at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, AFP reported.
The result left Spurs 18th in the Premier League, one point behind West Ham and two behind Nottingham Forest with five games remaining.
The spectre of a first relegation since 1977 looms large for last season’s Europa League winners, who are ranked by Deloitte as the ninth richest club in the world.
Former Brighton and Marseille boss De Zerbi, taking charge of his first home game, admitted the draw felt like a defeat but said his team had the quality to win all five of their remaining games.
“It’s not finished yet, we have another five games, it’s tough,” he said.
“Everyone of us knows it’s a tough moment, it’s a difficult situation, but we have another five games, 15 points.
“And this team is able to win five games in a row.”
The Italian urged his players, who looked distraught at the end of the match, to believe in him.
“They have to follow me, they have not to think, they have to follow me and to listen to me,” he said.
“I’m proud of their performance, they have to be stronger and to be focused just on the Wolverhampton game (next week).
“And to come to the training ground on Monday afternoon with a smile, because otherwise they go home immediately.
“I have no time to see negative people, to see sad players or sad assistants. No, we are lucky because we are working in a big club, a big stadium, we are working in the Premier League.”
After the game at Wolves, Spurs have matches to come against Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton.
The squad is packed with quality but despite De Zerbi’s positive words, their chances of survival look increasingly bleak.
Tottenham has forgotten how to win in the league – failing to pick up a victory since December.
Adding to their problems, Forest, who hosts relegation-bound Burnley on Sunday, and West Ham, who travel to Crystal Palace a day later, is regularly picking up vital points.
Leeds beat Wolves 3-0 and is now eight points clear of danger.
De Zerbi, brought in earlier this month as Tottenham’s third head coach of the season, has an incredibly difficult task despite encouraging signs against Brighton. But he urged his men to have belief and play with adventure.
“Now we need courage, now we need to win the game and to win the game we have to be positive and to play football with the ball and not stay just to defend 11 players and going counter-attack,” he said.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, who is chasing a European spot next season, certainly feels the London side have the quality to survive.
“They have unbelievable players in their squad,” he said. “They have in their front-line players who can make a difference with one action, and that’s what they showed.
“Therefore, I think they have enough quality in their squad to make it happen.”
