De Zerbi explains Fernandes’ absence as Tottenham climb out of relegation zone
Tottenham’s first league win of the campaign came with Mateus Fernandes on the bench after just two days of training, Roberto De Zerbi said. The manager also…
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Tottenham’s first league win of the campaign came with Mateus Fernandes on the bench after just two days of training, Roberto De Zerbi said. The manager also explained why Archie Gray started alongside Sandro Tonali, with Conor Gallagher not ready to begin the match against Coventry City and Lucas Bergvall injured.
De Zerbi told Football.London that Gallagher had returned to training two days before the game. At the start of the week, the medical staff had warned that he might not be available. Fernandes, meanwhile, had worked with the squad only in the final two days before the match following the birth of his son.
De Zerbi said he chose a back three to help Tottenham defend against counters and control the game. He was pleased that Coventry did not counter-attack and said Spurs conceded one shot. Gray therefore partnered Tonali in midfield as Tottenham looked to manage the absences and limited preparation time.
The manager was pleased with the result but said the performance was not among Tottenham’s best this season. He pointed to Coventry’s compact, deep defensive shape as a reason the game was difficult, and said Spurs were too predictable in the first half and did not move the ball quickly enough. De Zerbi said Tottenham had played better against Manchester United and Aston Villa.
The win lifted Tottenham out of the relegation zone and into 16th place after seven matches. They have six points from one win, three draws and three defeats. Coventry are 17th on the same points total, with a goal difference of -8 compared with Tottenham’s -4.
Fernandes has played in all seven league matches this season, accumulating 286 minutes, five key passes and 94 per cent passing accuracy, according to figures published by Spurs Web. Gray has made two league appearances, while Gallagher has featured twice and Bergvall once.
De Zerbi said he was happy with the result and praised James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, while maintaining that Tottenham had delivered stronger performances in other games. Spurs’ next match is away to Chelsea on Saturday, 24 October; Coventry host Fulham that afternoon. For Tottenham, the immediate task is to build on a first league win that has moved them above Coventry on goal difference.
