Roberto De Zerbi has played down the injury scares that took Andy Robertson, Tosin Adarabioyo and Omar Marmoush out of Tottenham's 3-1 win over Coventry, insisting there are "no injuries, nothing important" after the club's long-awaited first Premier League victory of the season.
Spurs finally got off the mark on Monday night, ending a 148-day wait for a league win and climbing off the bottom of the table into 16th place, as Reuters noted in its report of a night that made Tottenham the last of England's 92 league clubs to record a victory this season.
But the win came with a flurry of second-half withdrawals that briefly threatened to sour it. Robertson, who had set up Marmoush's goal, went off on 69 minutes for eventual scorer Ben Davies. Tosin, making his full debut, followed two minutes later for Mateus Fernandes. And Marmoush, the Egyptian forward who had restored Spurs' lead in the 3-1 win over Coventry, limped away late on and was replaced by Mathys Tel.
"Nothing important"
Asked afterwards about the three withdrawals, De Zerbi was emphatic. In his post-match press conference, covered in full by football.london, the Spurs head coach said he did not believe any of the problems were real injuries, describing them as nothing important — a verdict that will be tested when Tottenham travel to Chelsea on Saturday.
That optimism matters because of what this squad has already endured. James Maddison was starting a league game for the first time in 536 days on Monday, and Dejan Kulusevski came off the bench for his first competitive action in 526 days. Spurs have spent the season patching holes; the last thing De Zerbi needs is three fresh ones before a London derby.
Why Spurs played three at the back
De Zerbi also explained the shape that underpinned the win. Tottenham set up with three at the back in possession, a choice the Italian said was forced on him by his midfield situation: Conor Gallagher had only returned two days earlier and the medical staff had warned he might not be available at all, Lucas Bergvall was injured, and Fernandes had trained only in the final two days after the birth of his son.
The plan, De Zerbi said, was to control the game and protect against a Coventry side whose game is built on counter-attacks — and Spurs did not concede a single one, even if he admitted his side played better in defeat at Old Trafford and Aston Villa than they did in victory here.
Kulusevski came on "just for the fans"
The loudest moment of the night was not a goal. It was Kulusevski replacing Mohammed Kudus in the closing minutes — a substitution De Zerbi admitted he made for the supporters, with Kudus playing well and the Swede still building fitness after 17 months out.
Marmoush, meanwhile, credited his manager for his first Spurs goal. "I feel amazing with the coach," the Egyptian said. "He's intense but I love the intensity and the passion that he brings to us every day."
So what: Chelsea will tell the truth
One home win over a promoted side does not fix a season, and De Zerbi knows it. Spurs head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday with six points from seven games, their two returning stars short of full fitness and a defence that may yet need the Robertson and Tosin checks to come back clean. There is also hope that Pedro Porro could return for that game, as De Zerbi suggested before the Coventry match.
If the "nothing important" verdict holds, Spurs go to Chelsea with something they have not had all season: momentum and options. If it does not, Monday's breakthrough risks becoming another false dawn in a campaign already full of them.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was the night Tottenham's season finally started — but the most important words De Zerbi said came after the goals, not before them. A manager who has lost Maddison and Kulusevski for more than 500 days each cannot afford to be casual about injuries, so his calm over Robertson, Tosin and Marmoush is either genuine relief or a brave face before Chelsea. Spurs fans should enjoy the win and believe the first version — while quietly checking the team news on Saturday lunchtime. Will Spurs follow this up with a result at Stamford Bridge? Let us know in the comments.
